The Legend Reborn
by Spidershadow5
Summary: Two persistent heroes. Two furious villains. Soon, each of these will be joined by beings from a long forgotten war, and a battle will begin. Along the way, the Hero of Twilight uncovers a truth that nothing could have prepared him for. (Mario, Sonic, Legend of Zelda.)
1. Prologue

**Hi, everybody. So this is my first story, and I just wanna note a few things. This is a Mario/Sonic/Legend of Zelda crossover. In this reality, Mario and Sonic have already met, and are already allies. Bowser and Robotnik have previously joined forces, and been defeated. I don't know if I'll make a prequel explaining that. There will be no pairings, because that's just not my thing. Sorry. It may take me a while to update because of school and stuff, so sorry to anyone who actually reads this. Please read and review, and be honest. Tell me if it's complete crap, and tell me why so I can make it better. Thanks a lot.**

Prologue: The Forgotten War

_ This is but one of the legends of which people speak..._

_Long ago, there existed a seemingly perfect kingdom. Blessed with the favor of the gods, this nation was free from war and disaster, and all inhabitants lived in peace. Four great spirits of light watched over and protected the provinces of this land, and it seemed no darkness would ever touch it._

_ That land was Hyrule._

_However, that peace was disturbed by the arrival of the thief king. This man was in possession of great and evil powers, and his only goal was to rule. Eventually, this mighty rebel was brought to justice, but no one foresaw the events of his execution. The thief revealed that the power of the gods themselves rested within him, and easily escaped his punishment. Out of desperation, the ancient sages forced the thief into the forbidden world of twilight, and all seemed at peace._

_ That thief was Ganondorf._

_Unfortunately, the day came when the unnatural twilight began to creep into the world of Hyrule, bringing with it shadowy beasts and destruction. Ganondorf, thought to be forever imprisoned and weakened, had gained control over a rogue member of the Twili race. With the aid of his puppet, Ganonodorf eventually materialized in the world of light once more. With his unstoppable power, he spread fear, darkness, and chaos across Hyrule, leaving its people helpless to escape or fight back. But just as the end seemed unavoidable..._

_A young man clad in green suddenly appeared out of the shadows. He, too, received the blessing of the gods, as well as the aid of the princesses of both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm. Armed with the legendary blade of evil's bane, the man engaged Ganondorf in a chaotic battle that shook the foundation of Hyrule itself. When the dust cleared, only the green man stood victorious, and the king of evil lay slain at his feet._

_ That man was named Link._

"This is what you got me out of bed for?" snorted Bowser, as he stared at the ancient, withered scroll on the table in front of him. He ran the translator over it once more, but again found nothing of use to him. He turned to glare at his partner.

"I know, it doesn't seem like much," said Dr. Robotnik, speaking quickly so as to avoid an incident. Neither of these two were known for their patience, but for Bowser this was especially true. He was known to set the kitchen on fire if his food was not prepared in a timely manner. "I bought it at an auction a few years back, and spent some time translating it. I thought it was just a stupid fairy tale, but then I found this..." Robotnik reached into his bag and withdrew a small, rectangular box made out of steel.

Bowser took the box, clicked it open, and lifted the lid. The object inside was an old tablet, carved out of a slab of black marble. Bowser guessed it was about twenty by twenty inches, and he instantly recognized the language of the writing as the same from the scroll. To him, the various lines only resembled pieces of letters, but Robotnik was positively ecstatic about the tablet. Bowser rolled his eyes, and placed the translator over the message.

"I am the Lord Ganondorf," he read out loud, "I leave this message to any who would follow in my footsteps. If you wish to fill the world with darkness..." Bowser's eyes widened with each passing sentence, and his mouth dropped open. "You're not serious!" he growled, turning to Robotnik.

The mad doctor grinned. "Oh, I'm completely serious!" he cackled. "Don't you see? If those legends are true, (And there's a mountain of evidence supporting that), then even the plumber and the hedgehog wouldn't stand a chance! This could be our big chance!"

"Hm..." Bowser scratched his chin, as if deep in thought, but the patronizing smirk on his face told the real story. "That would be a great idea...If you hadn't previously woken up that stupid Chaos monster. Ah, it seems like only yesterday that you lost control of it, and it almost destroyed Station Square."

Robotnik's smile faded, replaced by a frustrated grimace. "That was years ago! I made a mistake! And it says right there on the tablet," he seized the translator and ran it over the bottom of the message, " " 'Whosoever accomplishes this task for me shall have my eternal aid, and shall share a section of my empire.' See? This is different! He's not a raging, mindless beast. This man was a legend, and he promises it himself."

Bowser growled. "Don't act like I can't read!" He snarled. "I know what it says! But you're being an idiot! We both want to rule the world, and now you want to settle for being a slave to some thousand year old freak? Sorry, but I, personally, have no desire to be demoted to a minion."

"We'll share a piece of his empire," Robotnik protested. "And we won't just be his servants. Think about it. We both have different visions for the world. This way, we each can build our own version in our corner, and the three of us will have equal power. Not to mention..." his smile stretched across his face, with a devilish look in his eyes, "...revenge."

Bowser seriously considered it. Yes, he hated Mario with every molecule in his body, and he was really getting tired of being smacked around. If this really did mean a chance to finish him off once and for all, it would certainly be worthwhile. On the other hand, both his and Robotnik's schemes involving other parties had a tendency to blow up in their faces, and this "Ganondorf" seemed just as likely, if not more. "I don't know," he said. "What if this whole thing turns out to be a really terrible idea, and we look like idiots, and end up joining forces with our arch enemies again?"

"Is that really any worse than being humiliated by a fat plumber over and over again?"

"Touché."

"Besides, based on how bad Ganondorf sounds, the death those two would face would make any risk completely worthwhile," Robotnik cackled as his face revealed it's full malice in a smile that would have made a child cry. "They'll be begging us to end their lives. It sounds like heaven to me! What do you say?"

Bowser turned to the tablet one last time. Then, he turned back to Robotnik. The same wicked grin plastered across Robotnik's face had transferred to his.

"Let's do it."


	2. Chapter 1

**My God, it took me a long time to finish this chapter. I hoped to get out one a month, but I had a ten page paper to write, and it took a lot of time. Sorry guys. Thanks for the comments, guys. I didn't even think I'd get one. Anyway, here's the first chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1: The Same Old Story?

Nobody standing in Green Hill would be able to miss the sudden burst of air that rushed past them, even if they were completely oblivious. If the person was a bit more observant, they would notice the streak of blue passing them, and follow one of two reactions. One, they would simply walk away, and be thankful they hadn't been rammed or something. Two, they would yell after the quickly disappearing hedgehog, usually asking for an autograph. Sure, he probably wouldn't hear them, but they felt better about it.

It wasn't much more than Sonic's usual workout, but he didn't really care. As long as high speed was involved, Sonic was pretty content. Racing down a sloping hill, Sonic leapt at the bottom, allowing his momentum to carry him over a small cliff and into a tree, twisting his body to plant his feet against the tree, only to leap off and land against a second tree. After ricocheting off of two more trees, Sonic landed on the ground and sprinted on a straight pathway, aiming for a large boulder lying on the ground. Sonic grinned and curled into a ball, spin dashing towards the boulder...

CRACK!

Digging his heels into a ground as a break, Sonic pulled to a stop, and observed his handiwork. The once sturdy boulder now lay cleanly split in half. "The same thing I've been doing my whole life," Sonic said with a grin, "And it never feels any less satisfying."

His moment of joy was interrupted by a loud bleeping sound, emitting from his glove. Sonic reached in, and pulled out a small, rectangular communicator with a screen in the front. Sonic pressed the button to answer the incoming call. His best friend, Miles Prower, aka Tails, appeared on the screen. "Hey Tails," Sonic said, "What's up? Knuckles crash the Tornado again?"

"I wish I could say it was only that," Tails replied, "It's Robotnik."

Sonic face palmed. He never really minded it when he had to beat up this idiot, but after all these years, it was kind of getting to him. Why hadn't Eggbutt just given up already? It was ridiculous. Seriously, you'd think a guy with a 300 I. Q. would find something better to do with his time than build robots and try to take over the world. Oh, well.

"What did he do this time?"

"It's actually kind of weird this time. You know Mr. Shad, that really rich collector who lives in Empire City? Apparently, Robotnik's taken him hostage, and taken him to his storage facility to get something, probably so he can sell it. Also, that turtle Bowser's with him."

"That can't be good. Did you message Mario?"

"I'm just about to. You better go grab him. You don't want to take on both of those clowns by yourself. Even though they're both morons, it's too risky."

"Agreed. On my way." Sonic turned towards the Mushroom Kingdom, tearing off at full speed.

* * *

><p>Sprinting as fast as it could on its tiny feet, the Goomba charged towards the target, lowering its head to ram him with a force that would-<p>

SMACK!

Mario's gloved fist collided with the fungus creature's face, sending it flying backwards into a tree. The "monster" was out cold. "So much for him," laughed the plumber.

Mario wasn't dealing with another Bowser invasion right now, but there were always plenty of stray Goombas roaming the fields of the Kingdom. It wasn't like they were a threat to anybody, so Peach never took steps to stomp them out. Having taken care of the "threat," Mario resumed his casual walk.

"BRRRRRING!" Mario's pocket began to buzz as a blaring alarm sound radiated from his pocket. Mario reached in and pulled out his phone, flipping it open to read the text he had just received.

"Mario, this is Tails, Sonic's friend. I've got some news that I think you want to know. Bowser and Robotnik are attacking Empire City, and have taken a collector named Mr. Shad hostage. I don't know what they want from him, but it can't be good. Sonic's gonna come and get you, so I'm tracing your phone location. Sorry about this, but we need your help."

Mario's eyebrows raised at the message, but in reality, he wasn't all that surprised. Even since Bowser had met that "scientist," he'd been getting bigger and bigger ideas into that head of his that Mario suspected had been previously empty. Back in the day, it was just "Kidnap the princess, maybe punch Mario and expect that to kill him." Honestly, Bowser was a complete idiot, but having to stop him every five minutes was getting on Mario's nerves. Especially after that galaxy fiasco.

Then, there was Sonic. It wasn't that Mario disliked the Hedgehog. On the contrary, he considered Sonic to be one of his best friends. However, Sonic had a tendency to be overly confident, maybe borderline arrogant. They fought well together, and made a good team, but they had slightly conflicting attitudes, which irritated Mario at times. Also, Sonic never noticed when he got on anybody's nerves unless they were visibly infuriated, and Mario disliked showing his anger. Sure, he'd do anything to help Sonic, but he was a bit harder to work with than others. Not to mention his speed, which, well, let's just say Mario wasn't too fond of breaking the sound barrier. Still, there weren't a lot of other people Mario would prefer by his side in a fight.

"Oh look, here he comes now," Mario thought to himself as a blue bolt suddenly appeared on the horizon. Sonic zoomed up to Mario, stopping just short of ramming an obliterating his plumber friend's body. Even so, the resulting air blast knocked Mario off his feet. "Next time, could you try not to almost smash into me?" Mario groaned on his back.

Sonic laughed, and was joined by Mario. Even if he was a bit annoying, there was no denying that Sonic was the guy you'd invite to parties. "Sorry, Marty. I assume you got Tail's message?"

"Yeah. What could they want with this Shad guy? Can't they just steal money?"

"You'd think. Hop on."

Mario grabbed onto Sonic's back, bracing his face for the inevitable blast of G-Force that followed.

* * *

><p>"Now, Mr. Shad," Robotnik said as he paced around the table, never taking his eyes off the middle-aged man who lay shackled in the chair on the far side. "I am a patient man, but this particular item is of vast importance to me and my...associate."<p>

Bowser snorted "Yeah, and we would appreciate not going through your entire collection of artifacts to get it. So if you could just tell us-"

"I don't remember where I put it, I swear!" cried Shad, who was nearly in tears. 'I found it decades ago! I can't remember!"

Robotnik studied his eyes. "He's telling the truth. We're gonna have to find it the hard way."

Bowser grunted. He turned on his radio. "No luck. Search every box until you find the sword. We'll keep him up here. Remember, it's about four feet long, and white."

"Roger, King Bowser," replied his Koopa henchmen, who were in the storage room, going through Shad's vast collection.

A blaring alarm sounded on Robotnik's computer, complete with a loud "WARING. ENEMY APPROACHING." voice blaring. Robotnik switched between their newly set up surveillance cameras, finding nothing, until he switched to the radar discovered the cause. "Well, that didn't take long." On the screen, two dots, moving at impossible speeds, could be seen approaching, less than a hundred miles away. Mario and Sonic, for sure.

"Already? How are we supposed to-"

"Calm down Bowser. We knew this would happen, and we prepared. This time, nothing is left to chance."

* * *

><p>Sonic and Mario zoomed up to the facility, a plain, grey, single-story building. Shad was one of the most paranoid men in the world, and had constructed his store building with reinforced steel walls. Not enough to stop Bowser and Robotnik, but what are you gonna do?<p>

Mario dropped off of Sonic's back, his legs wobbling as he tried to stand. "I never...wanna do that...again..." he managed to sputter out as he stumbled across the ground.

"Oh, come on, you know you love it!" Sonic laughed, which earned him a glare from Mario.

Suddenly, the metal boxes that sat right outside the building started up, with steel panels on them opening, revealing glowing green eyes, metal legs, cameras on the chests, and arms that ended in silver gun barrels.

"Sonic, Mario," Robotnik's voice emanated from the robots. "So glad you could come. However, we have no interest in playing around with you two today, so please go away, or we will be forced to annihilate you."

"Wow. Short and straight to the point? Whatever happened to your good old-fashioned villainous rants?" said Sonic, causing him and Mario to burst out laughing.

"Have it your way, then," said Robotnik, and even Sonic's unbeatable reaction time failed to avoid the laser blasts that came flying at the two of them.


	3. Chapter 2

**I own none of these franchises. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Zelda characters will be appearing soon.**

Chapter 2: The Gloves Are Off

Mario and Sonic were struck by the lasers, and sent flying backwards into the neighboring buildings, the concrete cracking from the force of the hedgehog and plumber slamming it. Both would have large bruises covering those areas very soon. However, that apparently wasn't enough for Robotnik, as the security androids continued to fire. Sonic managed to regain his composure, and leapt out the way of the incoming blizzard of energy. Mario, lacking Sonic's recovery time, was only able to draw his hammer, using its unbreakable steel head to block lasers that came his way. He spun the tool around in his hands, turning the head into a revolving shield around his body.

"They're not pulling any punches today, it seems!" Mario shouted as he searched for additional cover from the never-ending storm of blasts that flew at them.

"No kidding!" Sonic responded, "What's the matter, Eggman? Someone forget to take his five dozen extra-large happy meals again?"

"Another fat joke," Robotnik droned through the robot transmitters, like someone finding the plot twist in the novel his was reading to be an overused cliché, which wasn't even interesting to begin with. "You will never mature, will you?"

"Aw, come on, Egghead! You know you'd never live without my sense of humor to balance out your dullness!" laughed the hedgehog. Sonic zipped through the lasers, then leaped backwards towards the next door building's wall, planting his feet on the side, then sprung off, curling into a ball as he sped through the air, before homing in on one of the robots. The spinning blue ball smashed into the drone, crushing it between the concrete of the ground and himself, and sending steel panels, screws, computer chips, etc. flying. Sonic then bounced off the wreckage to the next robot, breaking that one too, before moving onto the third. However, on his third rebound, one lucky drone managed to get a bead on the blue hedgehog. Training its short, blaster arm on Sonic, the robot narrowed the targeting reticle on him, and fired.

The resulting laser burst traveled slower than Sonic, barely managing to nick him on the leg. However, the electrical surge accompanying this attack was sufficient to daze the hedgehog, throwing off his attack pattern. Sonic was sent spinning through the air, landing face first on the ground and sliding for a few feet. As he attempted to get up, Sonic noticed to half-dozen remaining laser guns pointed at his head.

"Okay, you're definitely in a bad mood today, Eggman!"

This occurrence took less than thirty seconds, during which Mario was continuing to block attacks with his hammer. A lot of the attention had been diverted away from him, especially since Sonic had destroyed three of the robots. Seeing his friend in danger, Mario was quick to act, jumping across the battlefield, and bringing his hammer down on top of the nearest android, obliterating it. Naturally, another attack on one of their own led the other robots to round on Mario, but not before he had swung his weapon against a second machine, sending it flying towards the storage facility to shatter against the reinforced steel walls. He then leapt about five meters into the air, narrowly avoiding another volley of laser bursts headed his way.

Sonic, having gained of reprieve from the assault of the machines, quickly curled into a spin dash, zooming forwards and smashing through three more. The last two managed to dive to the side, but as a result, left themselves defenseless. Sonic jumped, then homed in on one in a spinning dash, obliterating the machine. The remaining droid tried to aim at Sonic, but was then crushed as Mario's hammer came flying into his body.

"That takes care of that," said Mario, picking up his hammer from the ruined soldier.

"We ain't done yet..." muttered Sonic, turning towards the storage building. A garage door had opened, and inside stood about two dozen Hammer Bros. However, these were not the same enemies Mario had fought before. Instead of their crude claw hammers, they now held mallets composed of red and yellow metal, with a spike on each end, and glowing panels on the heads and handles. The Koopas themselves were outfitted with armor of the same colors, with glowing black visors covering their eyes, and plates bearing Bowser's symbol over their chests. A floating monitor descended, and Bowser's face appeared on the screen.

"Like them, Mario?" sneered the king, "Upgraded with the Doctor's latest tech. You ain't getting through these so easily!"

Mario rolled his eyes. "You really never give up-a," he groaned, "At least it beats kidnapping Peach for-a, what, the nine-thousandth time?"

The two didn't get to continue insulting each other, as the Hammer Bros hurled their weapons towards Mario and Sonic, who both leaped to the sides. The hammers spun in horizontal arcs, curving around, and then flying back towards their owners, who caught them.

"Oh, that's perfect," Sonic whined.

* * *

><p>Back in Shad's room, Bowser cackled as he observed the Hammer Bros charge forward and try to manually smash the fighters. Sonic and Mario both attempted a melee attack, Sonic kicking out, and Mario punching, but the assault failed to penetrate Robotnik's armor.<p>

"That should keep them occupied long enough," Bowser laughed, turning to Robotnik, who nodded in return. Bowser turned back to Shad, who was very thankful he had no history of heart attacks, as he would had quite a few by now. "You really should keep better track of your junk, Shad. If you'd known where the sword was, you could've just handed it over, and we'd be on our merry way, instead of sitting here while my troops hold off our 'buddies'" said Bowser.

Despite the nagging feeling that he was going to die, Shad felt some of his natural curiosity surface. "W-what exactly do you want with the s-sword?" Shad managed to stutter out, "I-I thought it had little r-real value. A-all anybody could tell m-me was that i-it was from a place called H-Hyrule."

Robotnik smiled, "Oh, Mr. Shad, you have such a narrow vision. That object is more valuable than anything else you've managed to amass over your life. If you knew where it came from, you'd-"

He was interrupted by a blaring from Bowser's radio. "King Bowser! We've found the sword!" shouted the Koopa on the other end. "It's just like you described it!"

Bowser snatched up the device. "Are you absolutely sure? I don't want to have to come back here!" he barked into the speaker.

The Koopa responded, "Yes sir. It's the only sword in this whole collection. This is the real deal!" Bowser and Robotnik simultaneously sprouted a grin that could only be attributed to a tyrannical arch-villain. "Looks like we're in business."

* * *

><p>On the outside, Sonic and Mario had not been having the time of their lives against the Hammer Bros. Not only were their hammer capable of a boomerang effect, but the spikes fired energy blasts. Robotnik had been busy with the upgrades, ensuring that not only did they possess an unbreakable defense, but a varied and dangerous offense.<p>

"Dangit!" Sonic snapped as he swerved in the air to avoid three more spinning hammers that came his way. "I hate you, Eggman! I hate you so much that I can't even come up with a witty one-liner to express it!"

"I'm pretty sure that isn't our biggest concern right now, Sonic!" yelled Mario, as a Hammer Bro charged at him and swung his hammer in a descending vertical arc. Mario leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. The Koopa responded by hurling his weapon in the same spinning fashion. Mario gritted his teeth, deciding to try a new strategy. He took his own hammer, giving the enemies weapon a good whack, sending it flying back at him. The flat top of the head slammed against the Koopa, cracking his armor, sending him flying into a wall and knocking him out.

"Well, looks like the armor's not completely indestructible," said Sonic, as he twisted in mid-air to avoid a flying hammer. He reached down with one hand, grabbing the handle, and pointing the weapon at its owner. He had previously noticed that to fire the energy blasts, the Koopas pressed a button on the middle of the handle, so he activated it himself. The resulting bolt barely missed, only knocking off his enemy's helmet, but this allowed Sonic to knock him unconscious with a downwards axe-kick. "And that concludes bad guy equipping 101: Don't make your minions vulnerable to their own weapons!" Sonic laughed.

Having caught on to their best chance, Mario grabbed another hammer, and began firing off energy blasts at the Hammer Bros, causing them to drop left and right. The Koopas were not prepared for their own weapons, and soon descended into a panic, running around in circles and screaming like little girls.

Suddenly, three Bullet Bills came flying down towards Mario and Sonic, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. The duo were forced to halt their offensive in order to dodge the missile weapons, which allowed the Hammer Bros to grab grappling hooks hidden in their belts, and fire them towards what appeared to be thin air. As the hooks flew, they struck something, causing a ripple in the air that revealed Bowser's previously camouflaged ship. The craft resembled an ordinary pirate ship, except for Bowser's face on the helm and flags, and propellers replacing sails that allowed it to fly. The remaining conscious Hammer Bros zipped up towards the ship and boarded.

An explosion suddenly occurred behind Shad's storehouse. Out of the ashes, Bowser rose up, driving his Koopa Clown Car, followed by Robotnik, piloting the Egg Mobile. "What? Running away already?" called Sonic, "Seriously, what is up with you guys today? Whatever happened to 'Better not interfere in my evil scheme-' Hey!" Sonic was cut off as lasers and Bob-ombs were fired down at them, forcing them to leap to the side.

"Don't even bother this time, Sonic," Robotnik responded, holding up his prize. Mario looked at the object in his hand, and realized it was a glowing white sword, about four feet long, and the blade was placed in a simple black scabbard. Two white, snake-like decorations extended outward from the tip of the handle, and a circle with a tiny dot in the center just barely lay on the edge of the blade. "This time, there is nothing you can do."

Bowser and Robotnik both cackled as the moved over to Bowser's airship. After entering, the camouflage activated again, and a loud burst was heard, like the bellowing of a rocket engine. They couldn't even tell which direction it went in.

"Well..." said Mario, rubbing the back of his neck, "That could have gone so much better..."


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi, everybody. I'm really, really sorry it took me so long to finish this chapter. Theoretically, it shouldn't have, since I really don't have a life, but I have a lot of issues with motivation. So, anyway, your patience is highly appreciated. I'd promise to try and get out a couple more chapters before I go to college, but I don't want to make ones I can't keep. So just bear with me here. Thanks to all who read, favorited, and reviewed this story so far. I'm getting into the big stuff, so I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mario, Sonic, Link, or any related characters, and I make no money off this story. **

**P.S. Did I drag out the fight scene in the last chapter too much? If you could leave a comment telling me, I'd appreciate it.**

Chapter 3: Over the Edge

"Okay, so admittedly, that could have gone a lot better," said Sonic, as he held an ice pack to his bruised arm, "But let's look on the bright side! Shad's still alive, albeit traumatized, and-"

"Sonic," interrupted Mario, "You probably should't mention that in front of him. I'm shocked the guy's heart hasn't exploded from stress yet." As the duo stepped into the next room, and Sonic laid his eyes on Shad once again, he decided Mario had a valid point, the most logical course of action was to shut up.

After Bowser and Robotnik had fled, police had arrived on the scene (Late and useless, as per usual.), and Mario and Sonic had been forced to delay their questioning of Shad until authorities were sure he wouldn't have a panic attack. Sonic had offered to calm him down with some jokes, but for some unfathomable reason, this idea was quickly rejected. At the current moment, Mario and Sonic were stepping into the waiting room of the local police station, were Shad lay on the bench, with a blanket covering his shoulders, and a cup of hot chocolate in his hands.

At the sight of a short plumber and an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog, Shad squeaked, causing some chocolate to spill on his nose. Luckily for him, he was taking so long to drink it, it was basically stone cold. "F-forgive me, g-gentlemen," he croaked, as he rubbed his nose, "I f-feel a bit sh-shocked after that...h-horrible incident."

"Now, now, Mr. Shad," said Mario politely, "There's nothing to apologize for. I'm sure you've had a terrible experience. I'm sorry to bring it up for you, but we really need to know some things about what happened."

"Okay..." Shad mumbled, managing to put his terrified stutter under control, "What do you need to know?"

"Well," chimed in Sonic, "We saw those two run off with what looked like an antique, glowing sword. Can you tell us anything about it?"

"A SWORD? AGH!" screeched Shad, diving under the bench and quivering. Mario turned to Sonic, with an expression that could only be interpreted as, "What the hell just happened?" to which Sonic facially replied, "I didn't do anything."

Desperate to salvage this situation, somehow, Mario cleared his throat, "Um, sir, we're not threatening you, we just need to know what they could possibly have wanted with the sword."

Shad poked his head out from under the bench, then grabbed a tissue and retreated back under the bench. A few seconds later, he popped back out, threw the tissue at Sonic, and squeaked, "Take it! That's all I know! Keep them away!" Shad then dived back under, sucked his thumb, and hummed "Mary had a Little Lamb."

Sonic turned to Mario, the tissue in his hand. "Um, thanks Mr. Shad," he managed to get out, before walking toward the door as quickly as possible without running, followed by Mario. After all, nobody likes an awkward situation they have no idea how to handle, right?

"Exactly what was jerkin' that guy's chain?" asked Mario, once they were safely out of Shad's hearing range.

"Beats me. A cheap attempt at humor from the writer of this crap fanfic?" responded Sonic.

**Ba-dum, kshhh!**

Mario raised his hands in a mock prayer gesture. "There will now be a moment of silence."

"For what?"

"For the fourth wall you just killed, Deadpool." Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Let's just see what he put on the tissue," the hedgehog said as he turned the object in question, turing it over in his hands. Unraveling it, Sonic discovered a one word, hastily scribbled wtih a fountain pen.

**"Hyrule"**

Mario face-palmed. "That's it? That doesn't even sound like a real word! What are we supposed to do now?" The plumber looked over at Sonic, expecting an snarky response, but instead found the speedster deep in thought, something he wasn't usually accustomed to seeing. "What is it?"

Sonic thought for one more moment. "I could've sworn that I've heard the word 'Hyrule' before. If only I could-" He suddenly snapped his fingers. "That's it! Tails was doing some research about a place called Hyrule! I remember ignoring it-" Mario rolled his eyes again, "-but if anyone knows, I'll bet Tails does."

"Good," responded Mario. "Let's see what crazy idea those two morons have come up with this time."

* * *

><p>Tails still had his workshop in the Mystic Ruins. However, since Mario and Sonic's first encounter, Tails had begun working with Professor E. Gadd, and now had a joint laboratory with him. Located on the edge of Donut Plains, on the outside, it appeared to be a simple, two-story house, with a red painted roof, and no other distinguishing characteristics. Of course, this was simply a tactic to keep unwanted guests away. Not that Tails and Gadd were anti-social, but it's kind of hard to work on scientific advancement with people banging on the window, asking you to get them Mario or Sonic's autograph.<p>

On the inside, the lab was much more impressive. It contained two underground levels, which had been hollowed out by Tails' Earth Digger device. The rooms above were mostly storage areas, and contained the basic living necessities. The first level was dubbed by Sonic as "The place where they blow stuff up." While the floor had been rocked by quite a few explosions, it was officially designed to be a testing room for E. Gadd's new inventions, as well as Tails' new weapons.

Beneath that lay Sub-level 2, otherwise known as the building level. It was here that schematics for new inventions were created, and then followed in real construction. The floor contained all the tools, and was blocked by a retinal scanner, a twelve digit pass code, and laser turrets hanging from the ceiling. It was highly unlikely that Robotnik or Bowser would ever discover the facility, but hey, better safe than sorry.

At the moment, Tails, Gadd, and Mario's twin brother Luigi were busy tinkering with Gadd's prized Poltergust 5000. Luigi had been taking a gift to princess Daisy, and been forced to travel through Forever Forest. Terrified, Luigi had insisted on taking it along, panicked, and had sucked up a couple of sticks, necessitating repairs.

"For the last time, Luigi, the Boos live on the other side of the woods, and their peaceful, dagnabbit!" chuckled E. Gadd, as he screwed the vacuum back together. "Don't be such a chicken!"

"I'm no chicken!" retorted Luigi, though his legs were still shaking from the experience, "I just...hate...g-g-g-ghosts! Yeah, that's it!"

Tails tried to stifle a laugh, although without much success. Suddenly, he heard the distinct humming of the elevator as it descended down to Sub-level 2, followed by a series of rapid clicks as the visitor keyed in the pass code. Finally, an electrical whir sounded as the retinal scan proceeded, and the steel-plated double doors swung open, revealing Mario and Sonic.

"Tails, we need some intel," reported the Blue Blur, "Bowser and Robotnik seem to be working on another scheme."

"Well, what do you know at this point?" Tails inquired as he handed E. Gadd the Dark Light Device to re-attach to the Poltergust.

Mario took over the explanation. "The only thing those two dunderheads stole from Shad's warehouse was a white broadsword. All Shad himself could tell us was that it was related to a place called Hyrule. I've never heard of it, but Sonic said you'd done some research?"

Tails immediately beamed with newfound interest, the dull task of repairing a ghost-sucking vacuum completely forgotten. "Oh, you bet I have!" he exclaimed as he grabbed his laptop from a nearby desk, popping it open and accessing his files. "I don't usually look into archeology, but this was too good to pass up. Hyrule was an ancient, medieval country that existed at least two-thousand years ago. In the grand scheme of things, that's not really that far away in time, but it's incredibly difficult to find any artifacts or records of it."

"More ancient stuff? Oh, this is going to end in a fantastic and not giant monster destroying the world-ish manner!" chuckled Sonic. He would have made another crack about a certain Dark Gaia, but Mario gave him a look that convinced him to listen.

Tails continued, ignoring Sonic. "I did manage to uncover one Hylian legend. Quite fascinating, actually." He opened a file labeled "Hyrule" on his laptop, revealing a scanning of a withered piece of manuscript, written in strange characters none of the present observers had ever seen before, although some resembled modern English letters. Tails activated the translator program, producing normal English letters. "'_Armed with the legendary blade of evil's bane, the man engaged Ganondorf in a chaotic battle that shook the foundation of Hyrule itself. When the dust cleared, only the green man stood victorious, and the king of evil lay slain at his feet. That man was named Link,'_" Tails read, "That's all I was able to get online. The entire scroll was bought at auction by some other guy, and I haven been able to track it down. From what I've been able to find, a man named Ganondorf took control of beings from an alternate dimension called the Twilight Realm. He used their army, as well as his own dark magic, to try an conquer Hyrule. However, a man named Link brought him down. Do you think the 'Blade of Evil's Bane' was the sword Bowser and Robotnik stole?"

"Wait, a 'Twilight Realm?' Wow, imagine how many teenage girls would love that place!" chortled Sonic. He continued to laugh, until he noticed Mario, Luigi, Tails, and even E. Gadd of all people giving him the "Really?" look. "Oh, come on! That was funny!"

Tails continued. "Anyway, the only other concrete bit of information I've got is this painting." He brought up another file, this one depicting a scene of battle. On the left, a man in a green tunic with a long, sock-shaped cap wielded a long sword with a blue handle, slicing downward to clash with that of his opponent. On the right stood a man in black armor, with green skin and red hair, armed with a long white sword-

"That's it!" exclaimed Mario, pointing at the white blade, "That's the sword they took!" He took a moment to look at the background of the painting. The green man stood with a blanket of shadows behind him, while the smaller man in the tunic was surrounded by a light that seemed to push the darkness away. It didn't take a genius to figure out who was who.

"So, took a sword that belonged to a dark lord that existed thousands of years ago?" asked Luigi, who had become extremely engrossed in the conversation, "What could the have to gain from that?"

Sonic looked at Tails, expecting him to be thinking, wondering what crazy plan those two idiots had come up with. What he didn't expect was to see Tails looking worried, suddenly rushing through his files like nobody's business. However, that was precisely the situation before him. "Tails? What's wrong?" he asked.

Tails turned to him. "A few months back, I got into contact with one of Shad's buddies. I think he might have gotten Shad that sword. This guy, Andrew Faro, was researching Hyrule himself, mostly by retrieving artifacts from the black market. Now, this is just a rumor, and it might be a mistranslation, but he heard whispers of instructions left by Ganondorf to...to..."

"Resurrect him?" finished Mario, hoping he was wrong. Tails nodded in agreement. Luigi squeaked and dived under the table.

"You...you can't be serious, can ya, boys?" asked E. Gadd, desperately trying to defuse the anxiety that had filled the room. "I mean, it's just a legend..."

Sonic turned to him, his sarcasm gone in the current situation. "Sorry, Professor, but in our experience, we generally don't get that lucky," he said, gravely. E. Gadd's face sunk.

"Those idiots!" exclaimed Mario, "What can they possibly be thinking? Do they think he'll obey them just because they brought him back to life? This guy tried to dominate the whole world!"

Sonic shrugged. "It doesn't matter now. All that matters is making sure Spike-Turtle and Eggman fail. Again. Tails, do you know about any specifics required to bring Ganondorf back?"

"Well, from what I heard, that sword is definitely a must-have. The only other thing I could remember was the blood of a Sheikah."

"A Sheikah?" asked Mario, "What's a Sheikah?"

"Back in the days of Hyrule, they were a race of warriors, heavily devoted to guarding the Royal Family. Apparently, they nearly died out, even back in those days. Actually, Faro thought he could trace his distant ancestry back to them..." The implications of what Tails had brought up hit him like a bolt of lightning. "Oh, crap!"

He rushed over to his cell phone, punching in a number faster than Mario could blink. He held the phone up to his ear for about a minute, desperately awaiting an answer. At last, he put it down. "He's not answering," announced the fox, "Maybe he's just out-"

"No, he's not!" piped Luigi, who was now staring at the television. Plumber, hedgehog, fox, and professor looked over to see the emergency news bulletin.

"Station Square resident Andrew Faro has been kidnapped, following the latest attack by mad scientist Dr. Robotnik, and Koopa King Bowser," reported the anchor, "Authorities are-" Mario shut off the TV at that point. Nothing else mattered to them.

E. Gadd started to look almost as panicked as Luigi. "Well, maybe it's a phony ritual..." he said, clearly grasping at straws.

Mario shook his head. "We can't take that chance. We need to intercept those two morons. Tails, can you tell us where Ganondorf might be buried?"

Tails moved back to his laptop, opening a few more files, searching through them, and opening Google Earth at the same time. Finally, he had several sets of coordinates locked on. "Here," he said, indicating three separate spots across Europe, "Nobody's found it yet, but researchers believes it has to be one of these."

"We can cover those fast enough," said Sonic, grabbing a locator device from the table, "We gotta hurry."

Mario nodded. "We have to stop this ritual before it starts."

**Next chapter: The King of Shadows! Also: Wow, compared to the other chapters, this one was huge.**


	5. Chapter 4

***Sigh* Stupid college. Oh well. I'll try to update as often as I can. All comments are appreciated. I'm getting into the important stuff in this story now, so be prepared. **

**Now do the disclaimer, Link.**

**Link: "What? Why do I have to do it?"**

**Because you won't be introduced until next chapter, and if I don't give you a little screen time, the fangirls will kill me! *Banging sounds and explosions come from the entrance* Crap! They're here! *Grabs a chainsaw and puts on gas mask* You'll never take me alive! *Runs away***

**Link: "Why do I hang out with him? Anyway, Spidershadow5 doesn't own Mario, Sonic, The Legend of Zelda, or any related characters."**

Chapter 4: Resurrection

Mario, Luigi, Sonic, and Tails had divided into two teams, with Sonic and Luigi taking the original Tornado, and Tails and Mario taking the enhanced Tornado 2, as Tails was the only one who could pilot it. The duos had split, attempting to find which of the three coordinates contained Ganondorf's tomb, with plans to meet up as soon as the correct location was discovered. Tails had sent out a message to their other allies, including Shadow, Knuckles, Wario, Daisy, and Yoshi, but nobody had responded yet, and they couldn't afford to wait for the possibility of back-up.

Sonic and Luigi had searched the first spot, which turned out to be an old watch shop in Spagonia. Tails' scanner had detected nothing beneath the surface of the shop, so that had been a dead end. The plumber and hedgehog had run off, after scribbling a hurried apology note for breaking and entering in the middle of the night. "Stupid timezones caused by rotation of the Earth," grumbled Sonic, as they flew away, with the alarm blaring behind them.

Mario and Tails had no better luck in Apotos. The location was a church, and they had found nothing beneath the surface, while the place itself was obviously not some cult dedicated to the worship of a dark lord from centuries ago. Unfortunately, Mario had knocked over a couple of...well, important things, and had incurred the wrath of the minister who decided to sleep there. After escaping, Tails called Sonic. "We had the wrong place, too. It has to be the last one," he deduced.

On the other end, Sonic shrugged. "You'd think we'd know by now. It's always the last place we look." With that, the two teams set out for the final location: A tiny island halfway between Apotos and Mazuri.

* * *

><p>The island was a relatively obscure location, mostly used as a resting spot for boats that traveled between Apotos and Mazuri. Other than that, the place had no real cultural, or even economic value, as it offered no resources, and was completely devoid of wildlife. It didn't exactly seem like a burial ground for a lord of darkness, but since when has that stopped these stories from happening?<p>

Sonic, Tails, Mario, and Luigi descended towards the island, the shadow of the night making it nearly impossible to spot on the ocean. The island appeared to barely even rise above sea level, with no mountains, or anything else that would qualify as a higher elevation. There was plenty of forestry, though. The entire land mass was covered with tall trees, blocking any view of the surface. There was no sign of life, and for a moment, Mario dared to dream that they had reached it before Bowser and Eggman.

Those hopes were quickly dashed, as Bullet Bills began shooting out of the dense foliage, heading straight for the two planes. Tails and Luigi, both acting as pilots, furiously pulled to the side, avoiding the first wave by a hairsbreadth. "CRAP!" roared Sonic, hanging onto the wing of the Tornado for dear life, "Of course they got here before us! I bet they waited until we figured it out, and then-"

"SONIC, NOW IS REALLY NOT A GOOD TIME!" screamed Mario, as he leaped off the plane to avoid another Bullet, barely managing to land on it again. Tails wrestled with the controls, as more and more swarms of Bullet Bills flew up towards them, weaving through in an attempt to find a path between the projectiles. Luigi wasn't faring much better, screaming and pulling into a corkscrew, almost throwing off Sonic and making both of them feel nauseous. "This isn't working!" Mario yelled, "Guys! We need to find a way to get down there now!"

"I got an idea!" shouted Sonic in response, "Can you two get us over the center?" Tails shouted in affirmation across the gap, while Luigi barely managed to nod. Sonic quickly explained the rest of the plan to Mario, who agreed that it was better than just waiting to be shot down. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a golden feather, with a brown, pointed spot at the tip. Sonic and Mario waited for a moment when the barrage of Bullets finally slowed, and then leaped off of the planes at the same time.

Both went in free fall, tilting their bodies in order to avoid the Bullet Bills. When one was too close to avoid, they simply latched onto it, using their momentum to swing past them. Both plumber and hedgehog kept an eye on the land, waiting for just the right moment...closer...closer...

"NOW!" shouted Sonic, as they were barely twenty meters above the trees.

Mario took the feather, and clenched it in both of his fists at the same time. A quick flash of gold suddenly illuminated his entire body, eventually dissipating to reveal Mario unchanged, with the exception of the glowing, golden cape that now adorned his back. With the power of the Cape Feather now coursing through his veins, Mario swooped to the side, catching Sonic's hand's in his own. He spread his cape out like a parachute, allowing the plumber and hedgehog to descend to the ground safely, under the cover of the trees.

Once their feet lay on solid ground, Sonic stretched his legs and cracked his knuckles. "Okay, that gets us past the Bullet Bills. Shame there was no way we could stop them from seeing us from coming down."

Mario nodded. "We gotta move fast. We don't know how long it will take them to complete the ri-"

The plumber was suddenly cut off as a purple laser bolt whizzed through the trees, narrowly missing both of them, and burning the tips of the foliage. Mario immediately flew up, while Sonic leaped into the air and began jumping from tree to tree. This turned out to be a good idea, as more lasers followed shortly after, grazing the trees. The projectiles didn't appear to be following them, meaning Robotnik was likely just blasting the whole area where they had landed in an attempt to take them out.

Both plumber and hedgehog moved forward as quick as they dared, bouncing between the trees constantly in an attempt to avoid the blind volley of laser death. The round of blasts was followed by a large "THOOM!", signaling a missile being fired. Mario zoomed over to Sonic, who jumped into his friend's grip again, and allowed himself to be pulled above the trees, just before the basketball-sized missile flew under his legs. It collided with a tree, creating a massive explosion that ripped many others from their roots, sending them toppling over. Others were simply obliterated, due to their proximity of the impact. Thankfully, Mario and Sonic had flown far and fast enough to avoid the blast radius.

Mario carried Sonic to the edge of the trees, where they parted to reveal a small clearing. To the shock and surprise of nobody, Bowser and Robotnik both stood in the clearing, with three active Bullet Bill cannons pointed towards the sky, and massive, double-barreled battery with a rocket launcher pointed towards the trees. Andrew Faro, in a state of unconsciousness, was strapped to a tall, metal pole that had been planted in the ground, and Robotnik held the shining broadsword in his hand. There was a large, recently dug hole in the ground, and a square, dirty, black marble coffin lay next to it, having been excavated from the ground. The coffin bore symbols of the language Mario and Sonic had seen on the manuscripts Tails had shown them. On the top, a golden triangle lay, with another, inverted triangle cut in the center, giving it the appearance of three triangles joined together.

"Okay, Baldy Mcnosehair. Put down the sword, step away from the body, and we won't have to beat the snot out of you," announced Sonic, curling his fingers into fists. Mario pulled out his hammer, stepping forward and pointing it at them.

Robotnik groaned. "Two things, you insufferable hedgehog. One, that insult isn't even clever, and it's really getting old after two games. Two, there is nothing you can do that will stop us from carrying out this ritual, so just go away, and enjoy your last few days of life."

"Wow, you guys really aren't in the mood for witty banter today, are-WHOA!" shouted Sonic, as Bowser released a stream of orange flame, forcing them both to dive to the side. Undeterred, the King of the Koopas charged forward with a roar, bringing his fist down towards Mario, who flew above it with the cape feather's power. As he arced over Bowser's head, Mario lashed out with his left boot, kicking the turtle-esque beast in the jaw. Bowser slid back, glared up at the floating plumber, and snarled.

"Wow, you're not even trying!" laughed Mario, "Did your tiny brain just explode from the shock of us showing up again?" He was about to dive down on his nemesis, while Sonic prepared to charge Bowser's legs, when they were cut off by a loud click. Mario and Sonic turned over to see Dr. Robotnik with a large, red handgun pointed directly at Faro's temple.

"You so much as make a fist, and I shoot him in the head," announced the doctor, "There's nothing in the ritual that says we have to keep him alive."

Both plumber and hedgehog froze up in shock. "You...you wouldn't-" Sonic began.

"Wanna bet?" Robotnik replied, pulling a small remote out of his pocket, and pressing a button.

Immediately, two large metal poles with diamond shaped objects attached to the tops shot out of the dirt on either side of the partners. The poles began to crackle with bolts of blue electricity, and suddenly fired a large blast of lightning between them, electrocuting both the plumber and hedgehog, who screamed in pain and fell on their faces.

Robotnik returned the gun and remote to his pockets. "There," he said with pride, "That should keep them occupied long enough"

"Good," snorted Bowser, who seized Mario in his left claw and Sonic in his right, both by the head. Bowser brought them together with a resounding crack, then flung them away. Mario's cape flickered and faded from his body. "I been owing you that for years, yah little pricks."

Both Mario and Sonic struggled to stay conscious, with their bodies burned by the electricity, and their heads pounding from the recent blow. A slim but steady trail of blood flowed from Sonic's mouth, and he coughed, releasing more drops to the ground. Mario managed to prop himself up on his arms, looking at Bowser and Robotnik, who moved the coffin in front of the sleeping Faro.

"Bowser...Eggman...please...you don't know what you're doing..." he sputtered out.

Bowser didn't even turn to look at him. "Put a sock in it, chubby," snorted the Koopa, "It won't even matter to you in a minute."

Marching over to the side of the coffin, Bowser ripped the lock off with one hand, as though it were styrofoam. He then raised the lid, looking down on a suit of rusted, ceremonial black armor, with a rotted and torn cape attached. A small hole, made from a stab wound, was torn in the middle of the chest. A crown-like head ornament, consisting of a gold circle, with multiple bands connecting to a black and gold circle, lay above the neck of the armor, where the head would have been. Filling the suit of armor was a powdery dust, forming a humanoid shape.

Robotnik took out a small hand-held screen, activating it and displaying a page of text. "Oh, Great King of Darkness!" he read, as he held the unsheathed broadsword over his head, "Your reign was unjustly ended! Return to us and reclaim what is yours!" Robotnik then made a quick slash across Faro's chest with the sword, carving a large gash across it, and spilling his blood into the coffin. "GREAT LORD GANONDORF! HEAR MY VOICE AND LIVE AGAIN!" roared Robotnik, as he plunged the broadsword into the hole in the armor's chest.

Mario and Sonic could only watch in horror as the spell began to take effect. A tiny red light began to fill the coffin, which began to shutter as the armor shook back and forth. The armor rose into the air, casting the broadsword out of itself as the dust moved to take the shape of the humanoid body it formerly was. Bolts of black lightning began to emit from nowhere, blasting the armor and restoring it's pristine condition, eliminating the rust and cracks that had accumulated over the centuries. The cape seemed to regrow, with the threads filling the eaten holes and multiplying to extend to it's original length.

The dust of the body soon began to mold itself into recognizable shapes, forming bones that filled the armor once again. Two tiny spots of white gel appeared in the skull sockets, expanding and becoming two blood red eyes. Muscles began to grow from the bones, as the black lightning continued it's magic on the body. Nerves appeared, each leading to the brain which had grown inside the skull. Finally, a layer of thick skin began to ooze from the spots struck by the lightning, not black, white, or brown, but deep, dark green. A head of bright red hair began to extend from the skull, worming it's way between the gaps of the crown. One final blast of red lightning struck the figure on the back of his right gauntlet, leaving a brilliant golden glow emitting from the hand. The bolts of lightning stopped, and the figure slowly floated to ground, planting both of his feet on the solid soil. The newly formed man seemed to shutter, and finally, his eyes flicked open, seeing for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

Lord Ganondorf had risen again.

* * *

><p>Ganondorf seemed to be savoring the feeling of being alive. He took to examining himself, feeling his own skin and hair, as well as his restored armor. He noticed the hole in his chest where the sword had been stabbed, and snapped his fingers, causing the metal to seal upon itself completely, as though the gap had never existed. He took each breath deeply, tasting the air as it flowed into his lungs.<p>

Finally, he spoke his first few words. "I live...I breathe...again..." he barely whispered in his native tongue, like he couldn't quite believe it. His voice was deep, and held the commanding tone of a king.

Bowser and Robotnik immediately bowed before him, and Ganondorf turned, noticing them for the first time. "You have returned to us, King of Shadows," said Robotnik, still averting his eyes.

Ganondorf raised his eyebrows in question, surprised by the appearance of the two beings he saw before him. One was clearly a human, although his garments resembled nothing Ganondorf had ever seen in his life. The other seemed to be like a turtle, although he had spikes, fangs, claws, and hair. They spoke not Hylian, but a language he had never heard before. Nevertheless, his magic allowed him to understand, and he used it to translate his own speech. "Are you two the ones who returned me to this world?"

Bowser nodded. "I'm Bowser, King of the Koopas. This is Dr. Eggman ("Robotnik!" whispered the scientist). We found that message you wrote on how to bring you back, and, well, the rest is history. Welcome back to the world of the living, buddy."

Ganondorf raised his hand. "Rise," he commanded. Both Koopa and scientist stood up, and looked him in the eyes. "I thank you for this," he said, giving a slight bow himself, "How long have I been deceased?"

Robotnik answered "Historians estimate that it's been around two-thousand years, but maybe less. I'm sorry to say that the Kingdom of Hyrule no longer exists."

While all this was happening, Mario and Sonic were attempting to recuperate from the paralyzer blast Robotnik had used on them. Ganondorf had not noticed their existence yet, and Sonic had signaled to his friend to attempt a surprise attack. Both had slowly been creeping up to opposite sides behind the green skinned man, and the weakness had subsided at this point.

Ganondorf felt shocked. Two-thousand years! That princess...and that worthless boy-Link-they had stolen everything from him! His world no longer existed! As Ganondorf felt rage rise up inside him for the first time in so long, he suddenly heard the two who had performed the spell. "Lord Ganondorf, behind you!" shouted Robotnik.

Ganondorf turned, just in time to see Mario and Sonic coming at him with a double flying kick attack from two different directions. He raised his right hand, and a black barrier formed between him and the attackers. Mario and Sonic hit the barrier and bounced off like pinballs, flying backwards and slamming into two trees. Ganondorf lowered his hand, noticing the Triforce of Power that once again lay on the back.

Sonic groaned as he stood up. "Well, looks like someone feels rested after a centuries-long nap," he joked, as Ganondorf regarded him curiously. Mario stood up, clenching his teeth.

Ganondorf turned to Bowser and Robotnik. "Who exactly are these beings?" he inquired.

Bowser grinned maliciously. "Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. Not to overstate things, but they kinda tried to stop us from bringing you back."

Ganondorf turned to the partners again, now smiling for the first time in his new life. "Well, then," he stated, as he gathered black light in his hand in the shape of a ball, "I guess I've found my first two opposers." With that, he hurled the ball of dark energy. Mario and Sonic leaped to the side, avoiding the blast, but were then caught by bolts of black lightning Ganondorf fired from each hand. Both plumber and hedgehog roared in pain as they were sent flying to the ground, black sparks flying around their bodies.

Mario struggled to his feet once more, drawing his hammer. "Alright," he addressed Ganondorf, pointing the weapon at him, "I don't know who you think you are, but you have no business in our world. So give up, before I have to hurt you."

Ganondorf let out a long, loud chuckle. "You're even more pathetic looking than that green clothed boy," he laughed, "And yet you don't back down. Have humans lost their intellect since I've been gone?"

"That's it!" roared Mario, as he leaped forward, bringing his hammer down with full force. Ganondorf waved his hand, summoning the broadsword into his grip, and casually blocked the hammer strike. He then swung his remaining fist up, colliding with Mario's chest, and sending him flying back into a tree again. "Weak," laughed the green man.

Sonic, who had only just recovered from the previous attack, rushed over to his friend, inquiring if he was okay. Mario clutched his chest, barely sucking in each breath. "Never...been hit...that hard..." he panted through the pain.

Two thumps suddenly alerted everyone to the new arrival of Luigi and Tails (The Bullet Bill cannons had run out of ammo a few minutes previously), who climbed out of their respective planes.

"Guys!" shouted Tails, "We saw some lights flashing down here! What happen-Uh-oh..." he gulped as he noticed Ganondorf. Luigi screamed and dived back into the Tornado.

"No time to talk! Retreat!" yelled Sonic, as he zipped around faster than anyone's eye could process. Within three seconds, he had removed Faro from the pole and grabbed Mario with his free arm, tossing the plumber into the back seat of the Tornado 2, before leaping into the back of the original model with the unconscious Faro. Tails, taking the hint, jumped back into the cockpit of the Tornado 2, starting it up and giving the groggy Mario just enough time to fasten his seat belt. Luigi followed suit, and soon the two planes took off into the clouds, leaving the island behind. Ganondorf fired a few more lightning bolts, Bowser launched a few fireballs, and Robotnik shot at them, but they all missed. They could only watch as the planes zoomed out of range.

Ganondorf looked at his hands. "My full powers haven't quite returned yet," he concluded, "Otherwise I could summon a creature to stop them. However, it is of no consequence now."

Robotnik nodded. "They have no way to defeat you," he laughed, "Let them flee. It'll be satisfying to let them cower in fear for a while."

* * *

><p>Back at Tails and E. Gadd's workshop, the mood was undeniably negative. Faro was lucky the cut had not been too deep, or he could have bled out. Mario was lucky not to have a cracked rib. The worst part was the knowledge that they had failed. Ganondorf had been restored, and from what they had just witnessed, he lived up to the legend.<p>

Mario suddenly stood up and punched a table in frustration, sending tools and machines toppling to the floor. "Dammit!" he shouted, "What are we supposed to do now? How are we supposed to fight a guy we know next to nothing about?" Luigi ran out of the room.

Tails grabbed Mario's arm. "Calm down! We messed up, yes. But if you lose your temper, we'll never solve this problem!" Mario took several deep breaths, and unclenched his fists.

"You're right," he said, in a normal tone of voice, "We can't just give up. But what can we do? You said that there were barely any resources detailing Hyrule. How can we fight Ganondorf if we can't learn anything about him?"

Sonic, who had been pacing the floor quietly up to this point, suddenly looked up. "Guys," he announced, "I think I've got an idea. Professor Gadd, do you still have that time machine?"

E. Gadd nodded. "I do, but we only have enough Power Stars lying around for one round trip. But what does that have to do with-"

"Ganondorf was originally defeated by a man named Link, remember?" Sonic continued, "If nobody alive knows how to stop him, I bet Link would."

"So, if we want to ask him..." said Mario, "We have to go back. I don't know, Sonic. I know that the laws of time travel state that if we go back, we've already been there in the past, so we can't cause a paradox or something. And it's logical that Link could tell us. But E. Gadd' machine isn't exactly the most stable, and it's never gone back that far. What if we cause some kind of damage?" Mario's adventure with the Time Holes had not been pleasant for him, and he had no desire to repeat it.

Tails looked solemn. "Mario's right. But it's either take a chance, or risk getting our world taken over by this maniac."

**Link: *Reading* "'Sorry if the ending seems a little rushed. Please tell me if it is. I appreciate your feedback.'"**

**Sonic: *Reading* "'Hope you enjoyed this part. I'll try to get the next part done soon, I promise.' Isn't that what he said about the last part?"**

**Mario: "No, he said he couldn't promise whether or not, because-" *Explosions and the revving of a chainsaw are heard, along with the screaming of teenage girls* "Wow, they're still going at it."**

**Link: "Let's get down to the Doom Bunker, just to be safe. If we get infected with the Fangirl Virus, who'll be the protagonists?"**

**Sonic: "Good idea." *They all run away***


	6. Chapter 5

** *I come out with a black eye. Mario, Sonic, Link, Ganondorf, Bowser, Zelda, and Eggman are sitting around the conference table.* **

** Okay, guys, the good news is that the fangirls have been contained. I locked them in a vault filled with posters of Taylor Lautner. That should keep them down for about six months. Nobody got hurt, since they're all pretty much Mary Sues, although they did blow up the bathroom. *Everybody else groans.* Yeah, so we'll have to find somewhere else to answer the call of nature for a while. And will someone please clean up the porcelain? That's the bad news.**

** Also, just so you know, I'm pretty sure one of the fangirls turned on the multiverse device, and it may have torn a few holes in space and time. So we might have a few people from dimensions not related to this story popping in. If you see them, don't worry, unless they're a giant bug or something like that. Other than that, business as usual. So, anyway, let's keep this story rolling, and-**

** Deadpool: "And by rolling, he means rolling off the cliff, based on the fact that VHS tapes are more popular than this crap!"**

** Oh, God, not him. Why did it have to be him?!**

** Deadpool: "Hey, did you say fangirls?" *Runs to vault.* "Hot babes, here I come! Chimichanga!"**

** Sonic: "Uh, we should probably stop him."**

** Zelda: "Let's just finish this intro before it takes up too much of the chapter. Especially since it's our introduction."**

** Ganondorf: "Blah, blah, Spidershadow5 doesn't own these characters, they belong to Nintendo and Sega, blah, blah, blah, enjoy this terrible fanfic."**

** Shut it, green skin! You, in front of the monitor! Read and review! Constructive criticism appreciated! I got a merc with a mouth to deal with.**

** Note: I have slightly changed my mind about pairings. I think I'll drop some hints of Zelink, but nothing definitive. So if you dislike that, you can stop reading.**

Chapter 5: Hyrule, Interrupted

**Hyrule**

Link rolled out of bed, the morning cuckoo still blaring outside. Dragging himself to the windows, he pushed open the drapes, allowing the blinding gold sunlight to burst forth into his room. Link shielded his eyes with his hand for a moment, before removing it as his eyes adjusted. Another day, another step on the road to work the Hylian militia into an effective army. Here we go again.

Perhaps an explanation of Link's activities since the death of Ganondorf would be appropriate at this point. In the aftermath of the Twilight War, Link had returned to his home village of Ordon and resumed his day to day life, as he'd expected. Princess Zelda had offered him plenty of rewards, given that he had saved the entire country, but he had refused them all. She had given a public speech thanking him for his efforts, which he hadn't been able to back out of, but that was all before going home.

However, Link hadn't expected the effects of the war to linger on him as they did. The nightmares passed, although they did return every few months. More than anything, Link felt trapped. Having seen such a large Hyrule and travelled around it, the village seemed so small by comparison. Link was trapped in a bird cage, with knowledge of the vast and expansive world that existed beyond the bars. His love for his friends remained, but they could not surpass his discomfort. Finally, Link decided to travel out of the kingdom, staying only long enough to train Colin in his ranch duties. Fado could never keep the goats in line by himself.

Link visited various nations, usually friendly to Hyrule, although he did drop into a few that were on more neutral view. The only ones he avoided were openly hostile to his homeland. On the road, he managed to improve diplomatic relations with several of these countries by providing some "hero services," ranging from killing massive serpents, freeing a few prisoners, and other adventures of the like, which are too numerous to list. A couple tried to convince him to stay, even offering up female royalty, but the Hero of Twilight had politely turned them down. Eventually, Link felt content with his journey, and had come back to Hyrule after one year.

His arrival turned out to be timely, as Link soon stumbled upon an attempt to assassinate the young Prince Ralis by a tribe of angry Lizalfos. The Hylian army, led by Zelda, was experiencing a bit of difficulty, and Link had lent his aid without hesitation. The battle had ended fairly quickly, and Zelda once again became aware of his superior abilities as a warrior. She suggested he join the Hylian military as a soldier and a trainer, as the current skill level of the knights was not exactly fantastic. After thinking it over, Link had agreed, moving away from Ordon, and into a Castle Town apartment (He refused to take a room in the castle offered by Zelda). Another year had passed since then.

He smiled as he thought of Zelda again. Their relationship was odd, to say the least, and he himself didn't quite understand it. The two had only met three times over the course of Link's quest to save Hyrule, and for two of those, he was trapped in the form of a wolf. After Midna's departure, the two had kept up a correspondence out of their shared experiences of the Twilight War, although they didn't write very often. Link had attended her coronation as queen of Hyrule just to be polite, and they each sent the occasional letter during his year of travel. After he had joined the Hylian militia, he and Zelda had begun talking regularly when they could spare the time, which wasn't easy given her status as the monarch. They discussed their difficulties with political crap and the soldiers Link was training, as well as sharing their experiences of the Twilight War and memories of Midna. In no time at all, Zelda had come to trust Link more than any of her advisors. Link himself felt so close to her, like they had been friends for years. He shared everything with her, and she was probably the closest confidant he'd ever had. Of course, this led to a lot of rumors, but nobody really cared.

Link walked across to his closet, swinging it open to unveil his clothes. Standing out among them was a green tunic with a matching sock shaped hat. Link put his chain mail on, followed by the emerald green hero's garb. He strapped on his sword, shield, and remaining gear, before walking out into the street. Thankfully, Link was able to walk among the people with several running up to him and begging for his autograph anymore. Sure, being appreciated for saving the kingdom was nice, but after a while it got kind of annoying, not to mention it reminded him of things he'd rather forget. Eventually, people realized it bothered him, and treated him like any other citizen, which was just how Link wanted.

Link arrived at Hyrule Castle, and after a quick breakfast in the grand hall, proceeded to the training courtyard. He'd been hoping to at least get in some passing words with Zelda beforehand, but her Council of Lords was being a pain again, and he knew that if she didn't keep them in line, the whole country would be run into Goron feces. So, Link gathered all of the recent recruits to the Hylian army, passing around the wooden practice swords. Recently, he had been attempting to teach them the skills passed down to him by the "Hero's Shade," and nobody had managed to get the hang of the Back Slice yet.

"Okay," said Link, as his volunteer, Allister, stepped up to him, "I will demonstrate this again. Pay close attention to all of my movements. Allister, stab."

The young knight obeyed, thrusting forward with his wooden blade. Link immediately ducked to his right, dropping into a roll the swerved around to Allister's back. Upon reaching a point directly behind his opponent, Link leaped into the air, spinning his blade around and clocking Allister between the shoulder blades, knocking him to the ground. Link landed nimbly on his feet. Allister scrambled to his feet.

"Excellent movement, sir!" he said as he moved to salute. Link held back a chuckle at his attempt at brown-nosing. It didn't surprise him anymore, given that it happened on almost a daily basis. Some knights would do anything in an attempt to gain favor with Link, as they believed it could get eventually get them into the favor of Zelda.

"Now everyone split into pairs and try it again," he ordered. The knights moved to obey, spreading out across the enclosure and mimicking Link's attack. Well, mimicking is being a bit generous. Some were failing miserably, diving headfirst into the ground. Some managed to complete the circumventing roll, but failed to jump up correctly, tripping and falling down again. However, a few did manage to come close, only making minor mistakes that likely wouldn't get them killed in a real battle, bringing a genuine smile to Link's face.

"Captain Link!" a voice shouted from across the courtyard. Link turned to notice Maurice, the head of the guard designated to protect Hyrule Castle, was approaching him from the south entrance to the castle. Link liked Maurice, as he was one of the knights who managed to take his job seriously. However, he also had a tendency to panic at situations of negligible danger. Link hoped this was one of those times, as he disliked having to deal with large scale difficulties this early in the morning.

He walked over to Maurice. "Is there a problem?"

Maurice stood at salute. "Sir, we discovered two strange individuals attempting to break into the castle. We've got them held in the dungeons."

Link shrugged. "That happens often enough. Usually they are just trying to get a glimpse of the queen."

Maurice nodded. "Yes sir. However, these...are..." Link sighed internally as he struggled to find the words. Maurice probably thought these were a bigger concern than they were. He once thought a peasant who accidentally stumbled onto the castle grounds was an assassin who tried to get captured on purpose.

"I don't wish to be rude, Maurice," said Link, "But shouldn't this issue be in your area alone, instead of mine?"

"Well, sir...these two are...exceptionally strange. One of them is...er...we cannot identify what type of creature he is. Based on your...experiences...I thought maybe you should be informed," Maurice replied.

Link thought for a moment. He still felt like this was something he should not have to deal with, since he technically ranked lower than Maurice on the castle guard. However, if they truly could not tell what one of these intruders was, it could be a potentially dangerous situation.

"All right," he told his fellow knight, "Show me."

* * *

><p>Maurice was right. These two were definitely unusual. One was clearly a human, though his garments resembled nothing Link had seen in any other kingdoms. He wore a red shirt, white gloves, flat brown shoes, and a red cap with a character Link didn't recognize, although it reminded him of some letters in Hylian writing. His pants were blue, but oddly hooked over his shoulders by straps and two brown buttons on his chest. The man himself appeared to be at least twenty, although he was shorter than Link himself. He couldn't be more than five feet tall. He had a large, round head, an oval-shaped nose, and a thick, brown mustache. His brown hair poked out from under the back of his cap. His ears were rounded, meaning he was not a native Hylian.<p>

Link turned to the second figure. This one was like no other creature he had ever observed, not even in the Twilight Realm. It had cobalt blue fur covering most of its body, except for its muzzle, arms, and a circular patch on its chest which were peach colored. It had six long quills emerging from the back of it's head, and two small, triangular ears over its eyes. Its circular body had two more quills emerging from its back, pointing downward, with a small tail between them. It was even shorter than the man. The creature wore no clothes except for the white gloves on its hands, and the red shoes with a white stripe on its feet.

Link stared at the two from across the hall. Over in their cell, both the man and the creature simply sat at the table in the center, shackles on their hands, not making a movement. He turned to Maurice.

"Did they put up any resistance?" he asked.

"No," responded Maurice, "They haven't moved at all. The only things they had on them were this grey box," he held up a small, rectangular device with a large, red button in the center, "and two small, black, circular objects. We tried to take those, but when we did, we couldn't understand a word they said. I think it has to be some sort of translating charm."

Link looked at them again. He noticed the aforementioned devices attached to their gloves. "Let me talk to them for a minute. I'll see what I can do."

Maurice nodded. The two soldiers guarding the cell moved to allow Link passage. Opening the door, Link stepped inside, immediately attracting the attention of the duo.

* * *

><p>"Uh, hi," said Sonic, as Link sat down across from them.<p>

"Alright, you two," said Link, as he stared at the plumber and hedgehog, "None of us take too kindly to attempting to breaking into the home of Hyrule's ruler. So, if you could tell me your business, it will go much easier for you."

As he spoke, Link focused his energy into his Triforce of Courage. Zelda had taught him about the legend of the sacred triangles, as well as the capabilities of his own. Link couldn't use magic like Zelda, but he had certain abilities he'd learned to access. By tapping into his own Triforce, Link discovered he could reactivate the enhanced senses he had possessed as a wolf, as well as feel the distinct life force of living creatures. Later on, he'd learned that if a person lied, he would experience a pulse in their aura. This ability was perfect for an interrogation like this.

Mario shifted in his seat. "Well..." he mumbled, "It's kind of complicated. We actually were hoping we could see you-"

"Yeah, that turned out to be the easy part!" chimed in Sonic. Link looked at him quizzically.

Mario elbowed Sonic in the ribs. "Joking around with the legendary warrior may not be the best course of action, Sonic," he snapped. Link took note of that. Clearly they knew about his escapades.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Well excuse me for trying to de-intensify the situation!"

"I knew getting ourselves captured was a bad idea."

"I didn't see you offer any other suggestions, Mr. Critic."

Link grew increasingly annoyed as they continued to bicker among themselves about things he didn't understand. Finally, he slammed his fist down on the table in frustration.

"Enough!" he shouted, bringing the two to silence, as they snapped to attention, "I have very little patience for this! Now state your purpose, or else you will suffer the consequences!"

"Okay, okay, okay!" said Mario, "We'll talk!"

"Let me put it this way," said Sonic, scratching around his shackles, "Do you remember Ganondorf?"

Link froze. That name...that name brought back a flood of memories of two years ago. Memories of the castle surrounded by a pyramid of amber light, blocking out all intruders. Memories of a green-skinned man, a glowing hole in his chest, sitting on the throne of Hyrule's monarch. Memories of that same man, armed with a glowing sword, engaging Link in a duel, as lighting crashed in the sky...

Link suddenly seized Sonic by the neck. "What do you know..." he growled through his teeth, "...about him?" The general public had been unaware of Ganondorf's involvement in the Twilight invasion, as his execution long ago was common knowledge, and Zelda had not wanted to alarm anyone.

"Whoa, whoa!" exclaimed Mario, and he grabbed Link's arm. Behind the bars, Link could hear Maurice calling for him to stop. With a gasp, Link released Sonic, who coughed and wheezed.

"Okay, sorry," Sonic sputtered out, "Look, he's returned, we need to know how to stop him in-"

Link stopped listening at that point. He focused on Sonic's life force, feeling for that pulse of a lie, which did not appear. The creature was telling the truth. He hurriedly felt both of their auras, noticing traces of power on them. The signature energy on them was something he had not felt in two years. Link suddenly stood up.

"Come with me," he ordered, grabbing both of them by their shackle chains. Link stepped out of the cell.

"Captain Link!" exclaimed Maurice, "What are you doing?"

Link looked him in the eye. "We need to bring these two before the queen."

* * *

><p>"And so, we really cannot allow these rock creatures to keep..." Lord Marcus droned on, as Zelda struggled to stay awake.<p>

Hyrule's queen had trouble deciding which situation she hated more in her council meetings: When she had to keep them from claiming too much power and creating unjust laws, or when they made everyday issues into long, boring speeches that had no clear relevant purpose, and ultimately served as massive time wasters. Lord Marcus, the speaker in question, was concerned about the Gorons and their continued domination of all metal resources in Hyrule. However, no point he had made so far gave any credible reason as to why this was a problem, or what should be done about it, and he ended up droning on about the glimmer of rupees. This was one of those days Zelda wished she was allowed to remove him from his position of power just for stupidity. Unfortunately, Hylian law kept him in power by birth, until he did something worthy of imprisonment.

A knock at the door cut Marcus off, and Zelda quietly thanked Nayru for what would hopefully be at least a few minutes away from the meeting. Link strolled into the chambers, kneeling before Zelda in etiquette, making her cringe internally. Zelda and Link avoided any titles or traditions when they were alone, but they couldn't keep that up in public, for fear of tarnishing both of their reputations.

She motioned for Link to rise, and he spoke as he obeyed, "Your Majesty, a report. The guard has discovered two intruders to the castle. These individuals possess knowledge that is of great consequence, and you must be made aware of it. Privately."

Zelda looked at him, perplexed. "I appreciate your informing me, Captain, but at this moment, I must complete my early morning council meeting." She hated to brush him off, considering he was her best friend, but to drop everything just for a particular person would give certain council members the wrong idea. She continued, "If you wouldn't mind waiting, I will be sure to return to you on this matter."

Link shook his head. "I apologize, Your Majesty, but this simply cannot wait. It concerns you especially," he replied. Holding his hand to his chest, Link indicated the sign of the Triforce on the back of his hand, making a special note of the top triangle, denoting the Triforce of Power. At the same time, he whispered, in a voice so low that only Zelda could hear him, "It's about _him."_

The implications caught Zelda like a punch to the gut. She turned to the council, and spoke, "My apologies, gentlemen, but this matter simply cannot wait. We shall resume this discussion later. You are all dismissed." Her expression was deadly serious, and her voice commanded the strength of true monarch. Not even Marcus questioned her decision, and the council members left the room without a word.

Link beckoned outside the door, signaling Maurice and a few other guards to come in, dragging Mario and Sonic into the royal chamber by the chains. Zelda stared at the two strange newcomers with a questioning gaze. Link turned to Maurice and the royal guards, as well as Zelda's personal protectors. "Men, leave us. This is not for your ears," he ordered. Maurice and the others started to protest, but a glare from Zelda silenced them, and they retreated.

Link stood beside Zelda, staring down Mario and Sonic. "They said Ganondorf has returned, and they need to know how to stop him. I tested them, and they're not lying. His magic taints their auras," he explained. Zelda looked at him in horror. Link turned to the plumber and hedgehog, and spoke again, "Now explain everything."

Mario nervously scratched his arm. "Well..." he muttered, "It's kind of complicated, and I'm not really sure where to start-"

Sonic groaned. "Oh, for crying out loud, let's just say it. We come from the future!"

Everybody in the room froze. Link and Zelda both stood open-mouthed, looking from the hedgehog and plumber to each other. Mario smacked himself in the face with his palm. Sonic just stared at everyone. "What? I figured it would be easier to get it out of the way."

Link felt Sonic's aura again, and discovered the hedgehog was still telling the truth. Zelda felt it as well. "You're from the future?" he repeated, "Who are you? What are you?"

"Sonic's the name, speed's my game! Sonic the Hedgehog, that is," replied the blue rodent.

Mario put a hand over Sonic's mouth. "Sorry about all this. My name's Mario, and like I said, it's a long story."

They then proceeded to recount their existence as beings in a distant future, as well as their experiences of the last few days. How Bowser and Eggman had stolen the sword, and Tails had determined that it once belonged to Ganondorf. They described their attempts to prevent the ritual resurrection of the King of Darkness, and their subsequent failure. Finally, they explained how Ganondorf had risen from the grave, held them off without trying, and the escape that followed.

"So, yeah, we're kind of in a bind here," said Sonic, "We have absolutely no idea how to defeat this guy, or even hurt him. However, we figured that the legendary hero who fought him two-thousand years ago would."

Mario took over, "We're not asking you to come back to the future with us. We just need to know how to stop Ganondorf. Records of your battle with him are extremely rare, so we couldn't get any more information that way. What did the ancient scroll mean by the 'Blade of Evil's Bane?'"

Neither Link nor Zelda could answer. Both of them were consumed with the same thought: The battle they had fought two years ago would be rendered meaningless. Even if it didn't occur in their lifetime, or in the lifetime of their great-great-grandchildren, eventually, Ganondorf would rise again, like a phoenix, eager to resume his conquest of the world. The death and destruction Hyrule had faced would once again be wrought, leaving lives ruined. Link stumbled back, fell into a chair, and covered his forehead. Zelda stayed standing, but her face betrayed her worry.

A thought suddenly came to her. When Ganondorf died, his mark of the Triforce faded, but what if... "When he came back to life, did the Triforce of Power return to him?" she asked the two strangers.

"The what of Power?" said Sonic, "We don't know what that is."

Link held up his left hand, showing the glowing, gold triangular mark that had bled through the back of his glove, with the lower right piece a deeper shade of gold. Mario and Sonic recognized the symbol as the same that existed on Ganondorf's coffin.

"This is the Triforce," he answered. He then proceeded to describe the story of the legendary triangles in brief, although Zelda did most of the talking. How the three Golden Goddesses, Nayru, Din, and Farore, created Hyrule, and the symbol of their power existed as the triangle. How individuals who exemplify those traits of the Gods (Wisdom, power, and courage) would find those symbols imprinted on the backs of their hands at some point in their lives. How Ganondorf had held the Triforce of power, due to some divine prank, and how it appeared to leave him upon his death.

"So that's what that gold flash was," said Mario, recalling what he saw, "Yeah, it went back to him."

Link cradled his face in his hands. "Of course. The Triforce of Power grants Ganondorf the gift of immortality. The 'Blade of Evil's Bane' you described is the legendary Master Sword. It was crafted by the Gods themselves, and it was only due to it's mystical properties that it could kill him."

Sonic paled. "So what you're saying is...without that sword, there is no possible way we could ever stop him?"

Link nodded, and stood up, "I can't let this happen, even if it's centuries apart. I'm coming back to the future with you." He turned to Zelda, "I'm sorry to leave like this, but they need my help. I killed Ganondorf once, and I can-"

Mario interrupted, "What? No, we can just find the sword ourselves. It probably still exists in our time."

Link shook his head. "The Master Sword can only be wielded by someone chosen by the Gods themselves," he said, "I was chosen to do so because I was already deemed worthy to hold the Triforce of Courage. Not to insult you two, but neither of you fit the criteria to hold that blade. If I assist you, you won't have to waste time searching for it on the off chance that someone like that exists in your time."

"I agree," said Zelda, "Even if your world is not ours, Ganondorf is still our concern. We cannot allow the slaughter of innocents. Let us help you."

Mario and Sonic thought about it. They knew very little about Ganondorf, and Link's prior experience could be a tremendous asset in battle with him. Plus, if what they had just been told was anything to go by, nothing they could do would even hurt Ganondorf, and Link had access to the only weapon capable of taking him down. They hated dragging him into their problem, but at this point, there didn't seem to be a lot of other options.

"Alright," said Sonic, "But can you get these things off of us? Please?" He indicated his shackles. "They're itchy, and they hurt!"

"Oh, sorry," Link replied, "I almost forgot." He produced the two keys from his satchel (He had grabbed them before going up), and released the plumber and hedgehog.

"What is this device for?" Zelda asked, holding up the grey box.

"And what kind of magic powers those translator charms on your gloves?" asked Link.

"That box is sort of like a beacon," said Mario, "When we press that button, the machine that sent us to the past will automatically open a portal so we can go back."

"These aren't magic," said Sonic, holding his up, "They're electric. They process what everybody in the vicinity is saying, and translate the words into electrical signals that our brains convert into words that everyone can understand. That's why you hear us speaking your language."

"You have electric powered machines in the future?" asked Link, looking surprised, "And what are these 'electrical signals' in our brains?"

Sonic's eyes widened in realization, and he turned to Mario, "Think we should tell him about how nothing's gonna be the same in the future?" he whispered, "Or should we wait until he sees a tv and freaks out so we can post it on Youtube?"

Mario face palmed yet again. "Why do I get the feeling this is gonna be major issue later on?"

* * *

><p><strong> *I've got Deadool by the legs, trying to pry him off of the vault door. Sonic is between him and the door, pushing his chest with his feet. Mario, Link and Zelda are trying to get enough tacos, beer, and dirty magazines to convince him to stop trying to open the door. Bowser, Eggman, and Ganondorf are just standing around and not helping because they're jerks!*<strong>

** Okay, guys...-come on, you stupid-...I hope you enjoyed this chapter-...get off the damn door!-...Sorry it took so long! Reviews are always appreciated-...ARGH! His sword poked me in the thigh!**

** Deadpool: "Must reach hot babes! Must reach hot gamer girls that may have played my video game!"**

**Sonic: "Hurry up, guys! I don't know how long we can hold him back!"**

** Link: "We're trying!"**

** Eggman: *Recording on his phone.* This'll make a great Youtube video! *Laughs.***

** I really, really hate you guys.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Me: *Eating breakfast.* "Mmmm, French Toast." *Phone rings. I answer.* "Dark Lord Voldemort speaking...hello?" *I turn, seeing Mario, Sonic, Link, Zelda, Bowser, and Eggman staring at me, a phone in Link's hand. They do not look happy.* "Okay, fine! I'll work on the story!"**

**Zelda: "About time! We've had to deal with Deadpool while you've been dorking around! There is absolutely no way to keep him quiet!"**

**Mario: "And this chapter's character-not-from-this-story-guest-star is creepy!"**

**Ultron: *Comes out of the hallway behind them.* "****There are no strings on me...****"**

**Me: "Stop ruining the childhoods of tons of kids, you homicidal chunk of metal!"**

**Ultron: "Well excuuuuuuse me, Princess! It's not my fault I have James Spader's terrifying-" *All the other characters and me beat him up for daring to reference that horrible Legend of Zelda animated series.* "OW!"**

**Me: "Okay, now that that's out of the way, sorry for not having a consistent schedule with chapter updates. I've had a huge workload to deal with. And by workload, I mean Super Smash Bros 3DS, and Pokemon Omega Ruby. Oh, and college finals. I'll do my best to get out a chapter or two really fast, before next semesters workload gets to big. Thanks to Psychic Nature for beta reading this chapter. Anyways, lets get on with...Wait a sec..." *Looks around.* "Guys, where's Ganondorf?"**

**Bowser: "Well..."**

**Sonic: "Should we tell him?"**

**Ganondorf: *Comes out of the hallway with a banjo, clearly drunk.* "****Come and**** listen to**** my story 'bout a man named Jed..."**

**Me: "Okay, who's the smart $$ that let Ganondorf drink all of the beer? I mean it!"**

**Ultron: "Wasn't me! Even I'm not that much of a jerk!"**

**Link: *Sighs.* "Look, just read, review, and enjoy."**

**Me: *Grabs Ganondorf by the arm, dragging him out of the room.* "Come on, Ganny. You need to sober up before your next appearance."**

**Ganondorf: "...and they moved to Beverly. Hills, that is!"**

Chapter 6: The Errand Boys (And Girl)

"You know, you really don't need to come with us," said Link "I can handle the Skull Kid, but there could be unexpected dangers." The Hero of Twilight, along with the two heroes from the future and Queen Zelda, were currently standing in the stables, preparing Link's horse, Epona, for the journey to the Sacred Grove to retrieve the Master Sword. Link and Zelda were currently having an argument over Zelda's demand to accompany the three men. She had changed into a blue, black, and grey body suit, with a red eye and a single red teardrop on the chest. Her hands were bandaged, and a belt strapped around her waist held her sheathed rapier and dagger. A quiver holding a bow and arrows was strapped to her back.

"For the last time, Link, I can take care of myself," Zelda snapped back, "I've had private combat training from my Sheikah guard since I was a child. Also, it's to our advantage. Ganondorf could easily guess they'd come back to this time, and that we'd need to retrieve the Master Sword. He could be lying in wait for us at the Sacred Grove. I'll be providing reinforcements." She smiled, "Besides, I've been looking for an excuse to get out of the castle for months."

Link rolled his eyes. "Well, hopefully, the lords won't be able to destroy the country if you're only gone for a day," he said as he strapped a pack of food to Epona's saddle. Admittedly, he was still fairly uncomfortable with Zelda joining the group. He knew she was capable, but his nature placed the safety of everyone else above his own. If it were completely up to him, he would be taking Ganondorf alone, even without the help of Sonic and Mario. However, logic won in that regard.

"Nice outfit," Sonic remarked, as he grabbed the saddle for Zelda's black stallion, Shade.

"It's not an outfit," Zelda replied, "It's a Sheikah battle suit. It was passed down by my family, and utilized by one of my ancestors, when the queen needed to enter battle, or disguise herself."

Sonic smirked. "It's definitely an outfit." Zelda ignored him.

"Okay," said Link, returning to the important topic, "It'll take us most of the day to get as far as the Sacred Grove. We should be there by nightfall. Mario, you'll be riding with me, and Sonic will go with Zelda."

Mario climbed onto Epona's saddle. "Let's-a go!"

Sonic made no move to join Zelda on Shade's saddle. "I don't need to ride. I can keep up with the horses."

Link turned to him, with a look of ridicule on his face. "You sure you can?" he asked, staring down the short hedgehog.

Instead of responding, Sonic braced his legs, locking into a running stance. With a sudden burst of his trademark speed, he charged out the door of the stable and zipped through the streets of Castle Town. Link and Zelda's jaws dropped as they rushed to the door to get a glimpse of the retreating hedgehog. All they could see was a bolt of blue color that quickly changed direction at an intersection, zooming down another street. A few seconds later, Sonic reappeared at the door to the stables, coming from the opposite direction he had departed in. A wide grin was plastered across his face. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure losing me is not gonna be one of our problems," he said.

Mario chuckled as the two Hylians continued to stare at Sonic. "Some things really do never change."

Sonic gave him the thumbs-up. "You know it, Marty!" he laughed.

Link struggled to find words for a while, eventually submitting and climbing in from of Mario on Epona's saddle. "Let's...just go. Oh, before I forget, take these." He handed black cloaks, resembling mourning robes, to Mario and Sonic. "Wear these in the town. We don't want to attract attention, and you two don't blend into Hyrule. Sonic, the people probably just mistook you for wind this time, but you should probably ride until we get out to the fields. I don't want to take any chances."

"Alright," agreed Sonic, putting on the cloak (Mario did the same) and climbing behind Zelda on the saddle. "But don't go too slow!"

The pair of horses casually trotted out towards Hyrule field. Nobody really noticed, as everyone was fairly busy with their daily lives. Link and Zelda, being widely known public figures, had not put on cloaks. Generally, the departure of Hyrule's monarch from the castle would be surprising, or even cause for concern, but since Link, widely regarded as the greatest warrior of the country, accompanied her, she was obviously safe. Zelda also had a habit of leaving alongside soldiers leaving to battle, so the occurrence was not unusual in the slightest. The two cloaked strangers went unnoticed as well. It was not uncommon for high ranking Hylian officials to escort mourners as a gesture of friendship.

As soon as they had passed beyond the eyesight of the town, Sonic crammed his cloak inside a satchel, leapt off of Shade, and begun running alongside the now galloping horses. For him, matching their pace was an easy jog. Sonic had not had a chance to run freely since before Bowser and Eggman's first attack, and he finally felt free to release all of his pent up energy. He occasionally zipped ahead of the horses, ricocheting off rocks and leaping several meters in the air thanks to his momentum. He relished the familiar feel of the wind in his face, and the pound of his feet upon the earth. Even the large Kagarocs that swooped down to peck at him made no difference, as he curled into a spin dash, bouncing up and clocking them in the face, cheering with excitement before Link and Zelda could shoot them with an arrow.

Link stared at the speeding hedgehog with a strange mixture of fascination and annoyance. He turned to Mario. "Does he not understand that we are facing pure evil?" he asked the plumber, "He does not appear to be taking these matters with any serious consideration."

Mario shrugged. "He's always like that. It's not that he doesn't understand the gravity of the situation. This is just his way of dealing with it," he replied. "If there's one thing Sonic values above all else, it's freedom. He needs to be free to run and jump like that. I think it's just how he lives."

Zelda watched as Sonic axe kicked a Bokoblin in the face, knocking it's weapon from it's hand. "Well, it seems to be working out for him."

* * *

><p>Several hours later, sunset had passed, and night had come to Hyrule. The province of Faron was finally within reach. Link led the way through Faron Woods, passing by the shack that belonged to Coro, who didn't seem to be out today. The team rode south, past Faron Spring, eventually reaching the path to the Grove. Link and the others dismounted, staring at the familiar gorge. Two ledges across the gap, one of which was cut directly out of the hill, stood between them and the woods. On the second ledge, two wooden platforms were followed by a short tightrope, which led to an entrance to a wooded passage. Link sighed as he thought of Midna, who could've teleported them down there in an instant. Zelda's magic was not strong enough to take all of them at once, so they had to do it the hard way.<p>

"Alright, so the entrance to the Sacred Grove is down there," he pointed, "We'll have to cross this gap to reach the entrance. Can you two manage yourselves?"

"Easy," answered Mario, and without waiting for an answer, he made a running leap towards the wall, firmly planting both feet on it before launching himself off towards the first ledge. Flying across the gap, he landed on the distant ground, before making another jump to the second ledge. As he did, Mario felt the familiar surge of energy flow into him, an rush that came whenever he fought against Bowser, or someone else. He felt the weight of all the lives that were at stake on his shoulders, but instead of crushing him, Mario felt exhilarated. For him, this was another opportunity to use his skills to protect the world, filling him with the ultimate satisfaction.

Link stared after him. "What is it with you two and running off like that?"

Sonic shrugged. "I have no idea," he responded, "That's usually my thing." Sonic proceeded to use a spin dash's momentum in order to propel himself to the first ledge. "Quit copying my act Mario!" he laughed as he made the second jump.

Link pulled out his clawshots, aiming one towards the vines covering the first platform, firing the chain across to the vine covered surface. After pulling himself over, Link fired at the next vine wall with his second device, zooming across the massive gap. Zelda utilized a much less flashy method, simply using her magic for a personal teleportation across the gorge. After all four had reunited, they made their way across the tightrope, crossing into the woods.

The thick trees were scattered across the forest, thrown carelessly about like the playthings of a child. No path was set for the quartet to follow, allowing the Lost Woods to live up to their name. Above their heads, the branches of the trees created a leafy blanket, blocking out the moon. Tiny gaps in the branches allowed tiny beams of the remaining light to enter, creating thin, silver columns spread around the woods.

"Stay together, everybody," said Link, "It's very easy to get lost in here. It is not the safest place either."

"Really?" said Sonic, "I don't see anything..."

Just then, a short figure dropped down from the tree tops, and stared down the group. It was dressed in a manner similar to a scarecrow, with a curved, pointed hat with a circle of leaves on the band. A tattered, leafy brown cloak covered his torso, and his thin, grayish limbs were visible. Mario and Sonic gasped at the mask that covered his face, as it showed his sunset red eyes, and displayed a large, toothy grin. In his hands, he held a lantern, and a large trumpet with four horns sticking out.

"Visitors!" squealed the creature in the distorted voice of a child, "What fun! Let's play a game!" With those words, he raised his strange instrument to his lips, and blew.

The sound that emanated from the horn resembled the sound of wind blowing through forest trees, with a ghostly feel that sent shivers down the spines of the quartet. Up above them, a sound resembling the rattling of bones was followed by several more strange creatures descending to the ground. They were humanoid, but appeared to be carved out of gray wood. Torn brown capes descended from their backs, and their faces had the same expression as the leader's mask. Their most disconcerting feature, however, was the way they moved. Their limbs twitched randomly, as though they were marionettes on invisible strings. With a laugh, the leader leapt away and disappeared.

"What the heck was that?!" exclaimed Mario, "Is that the Skull Kid thing you mentioned?!" He ducked to avoid the swinging fist of one of the puppets, and retaliated with a jumping kick to the head. The wooden monster snapped like a twig, and burst into smoke.

"Yes," said Link, as he slashed another puppet with his own sword, "Don't worry, he's just playing. These puppets are just a distraction to keep us from finding him. Once we do, he'll lead us to the temple ruins."

Sonic leaped into the air, performing several homing attacks on the puppets in a chain, killing each with one hit. As he landed on his feet, he heard a faint whistling sound. Looking for the source, he noticed a tree with a large, circular section carved out in the middle. Through the branched obscuring most of the hole, he saw the tip of a brown hat. "He's in there!" shouted the hedgehog, pointing as he dodged the bony fist of another puppet.

"I will handle him!" responded Zelda. Drawing her bow, she fired two arrows into the heads of nearby puppets, then another towards the imp's hiding place, aiming for his cloak. He was barely able to move to the side, and the arrow imbedded itself in the wood.

Skull Kid jumped from his hiding place, landing on the ground a few meters away from the group. "Good job, you made me feel your wrath," he giggled, "Now I will set you on the path!" He rand off into the woods with surprising speed.

"After him!" ordered Link. The others obeyed charging after the imp, with Sonic easily outpacing the rest. They came to another clearing, and a fresh batch of puppets descended to play with them.

"Look for the Skull Kid! We need him to show us the path!"

"No! Listen! You can hear his music. He gives away his hiding place!"shouted Sonic. Link and Zelda both took out their bows, aiming them around the clearing. At the same time, Mario and Sonic battered away at the group of puppets. Mario smashed one away with his fist, then caught Sonic's spinning ball form, and hurled it through four more, scattering their pieces like bowling pins. Zelda, unable to hear the music of the Skull Kid's horn, closed her eyes, allowing her long ears to take in all sounds around her, eventually catching a faint tune coming from a bush. Zelda turned her bow, and fired an arrow into it, causing the Skull Kid to leap out.

"What are you doing?" exclaimed Mario, as he heaved another puppet off of him.

"Wait for your answers, little man! Catch me, catch me, if you can!" laughed the Skull Kid, as he scurried off into a seemingly solid wood wall, which faded away as soon as he touched it, revealing a new path through the forest.

"Now I've seen everything," said the plumber, and the four followed in close pursuit of the imp. The new clearing had several large tree stumps, and no visible exit. As expected, more puppets, numbering at least three dozen, dropped down to give the team grief.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" groaned Sonic as he assumed a fighting stance. Three puppets lunged at him at the same time, clawing with their bony hands. Sonic leaped into the air, dodging all three attackers, and launching his downward axe kick towards them, knocking their heads off and destroying them. In midair, another puppet managed to seize Sonic's opposing leg, and tossed him down into the crowd of swarming puppets, which immediately began smacking the blue hedgehog with their wooden fists. Sonic responded with grunts of annoyance, eventually curling into a spin dash. The vibrations slammed the puppets, causing them to shatter into pieces. Looking around him, he saw that the others were having much the same difficulties as him. Mario was attempting to pry a puppets fingers away from his face, Link had two puppets grabbing him by the arms, preventing him from reaching his weapons, and Zelda had one puppet pulling her hair like a mischievous child.

Sonic jumped into the air, performing a homing attack on the puppet holding Link's left arm. The warrior used his now free arm to pull out his sword, swiftly cutting down the puppet on his other arm. Switching to his bow Link shot the puppet on Mario. Link turned to Zelda with an arrow notched in his bow, in order to help her, but found that she had already freed herself, stabbing the puppet in the gut with her dagger.

"Still think I need constant protection?" she asked, smiling at Link.

Link chuckled, as he shot at another puppet. "I think you should show that to some of your council," he replied. He turned, seeing Mario and Sonic trying to fend off more puppets. "We need to find the Skull Kid! These puppets are too numerous!"

"Ya don't say!' snapped Mario, as he tossed away another puppet. He looked around, and tried to listen for the sound of the Skull Kid's music, but both failed to discover the creature's location. "I can't find him! You guys try!"

Zelda snapped her fingers, creating a blue, transparent diamond around her. The puppets around her were pushed back, and destroyed, and puppets that punched at the barrier were met with the same fate. Zelda now closed her eyes, and focused her ears closely on all the surrounding sounds. After filtering her audio input of the sounds of her companions, as well as the sound of the wind blowing through the trees, was able to discern a brief whistling sound. Zelda turned in a full three-hundred and sixty degree turn, attempting to pinpoint the location of the music, but could not do so. Meanwhile, puppets continued to pound on the crystal barrier, causing it to slowly weaken, and Zelda could not maintain the spell indefinitely. Noticing her plight, Mario leaped over to the puppets around her, jumping from head to head, crushing them beneath her feet.

"Thank you," noted the queen. She continued to turn, eventually stopping, and pointing in one direction. "He is over that way, but I cannot be sure where!"

Link cut a path through some puppets in the indicated direction with his sword. Searching, his darting eyes noticed that a tree with far larger than average roots was in that direction, creating a small cavern below the tree. Inside that cavern, he easily noticed the distinctive flicker of Skull Kid's lantern. Getting an idea, Link pulled a bomb from his satchel, lighting the fuse, and rolling it towards the Skull Kid's hiding place, where it came to a stop outside of the cavern, and exploded.

At the burst of the bomb, the Skull Kid leaped out from under the tree. Landing on both of his feet, Skull Kid chuckled with the voice of a child, and waved his hands, causing all remaining puppets to suddenly vanish into thin air.

"Now you have discovered the end," he sang, as he wandered over to yet another apparently impenetrable wooden wall, "I wish you luck on your journey, my friend."

As he walked through the wall, both the wood barrier and the Skull Kid himself both faded to transparency, and eventually vanished. The four warriors stared out the newly emerged passageway.

"Okay, now I've seen everything," said Mario.

* * *

><p>Mario, Link, Sonic, and Zelda stepped outside into the newly accessible Sacred Grove, and the ruins of the Temple of Time, through a large opening where the wall had deteriorated. The large outer walls still remained standing, although moss and ivy had snaked up the brick, and it was already starting to erode. In the middle of the temple, two massive stone statues of knights, carrying long war hammers, flanked the front of the door. In front of the temple entrance, the symbol of the sacred Triforce was imprinted in front. Behind them, staircases on either side led up to a door, still standing when all walls around it had fallen.<p>

Through the center door, between the two statues, all the walls of the temple had fallen, leaving a simple, grassy plain. The grass itself had turned completely gray, leaving a pale appearance on the ground. In the middle of the plain, lay a simple stone pedestal, with a long sword sticking out. The hilt of the sword was bright blue, with the cross spread like wings, and a golden gem in the center.

"The Master Sword," said Link, staring fondly at the blade. To him, it seemed like an old companion he had long lost.

Sonic, Zelda, and Mario stared at the sword. Zelda had seen Link utilize the blade against Ganondorf in the original battle, and its power had not been lost on her. She was awed by it then, and the effect had not faded in the last two years.

Sonic smirked. "I've seen better," he said. Mario face palmed.

Link spun around. "How dare you!" he snapped.

Sonic threw up his hands. "Hey! I was just kidding!" he stammered.

"Great job ruining the moment," said Mario. Zelda was laughing, but covered it up with her hands.

Link shrugged it off, and moved back to the sword. He grasped the hilt with both hands, preparing to pull it loose. Before he did, he felt a reflexive surge of doubt within him. What if he could not wield the blade anymore? Was he still worthy? Why did he have to pull it while the others where standing there watching him?

"Anytime, now. We're not getting any younger."

On the other hand, resisting the urge to drop-kick Sonic all the way back to the future gave him something else to focus on.

Finally, Link gave a sharp tug. The sword came free of the pedestal with ease, and Link flipped it around so he held the blade in front of him. Now free of its stone resting place, the Master Sword once again gained its magical glow. The sword itself was about thirty inches long, and the others could now see the Triforce insignia carved into the blade. The power to repel evil shone throughout the metal, and the energies radiated outwards to the point where the others could feel it.

"Alright! We got the Ganondorf-busting sword!" cheered Sonic.

Mario nodded. "We'd better get going. We need to find him before-"

"Wait!" exclaimed Zelda, pointing back the way they came, "Look!"

The three men turned slowly, looking at the doorway behind them. Standing there on all four paws in an aggressive stance, was a glowing, golden wolf, with blood-red eyes.


	8. Chapter 7

**Me: "Oh, look, I got a chapter out in less than two months! Yeah...Um, anyway, this is a bit of an exposition chapter, but hopefully, it's still worth reading. Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and marked this story as a favorite. We're up to nearly two-thousand views, and I really appreciate-"**

**Ganondorf: "Get on with it!"**

**Eggman: "Yes, get on with it!"**

**Bowser: "Get on with it!"**

**Me: "Fine. You guys are the least supportive character voices in my head ever!"**

**Ganondorf: "Your jokes aren't funny, and you fail at being clever."**

**Me: "Oh, it is on, douche-bag!"**

***Ganondorf and I get into a fistfight. Link slips over and quietly grabs my laptop while nobody's looking.***

**Link: "Uh, technical difficulties, folks. We'll try to get that sorted out. Sonic! Mario!"**

**Christian Ape99: You'll see!**

**Thanks again to Psychic Nature for beta reading. **

Chapter 7: Everything You Need to Know (And More)

The golden wolf continued to stare at the quartet, his crimson eyes narrowed. His shining fur stood on end, and his back was arched, giving him an aggressive appearance. His tail twitched, and his claws dug into the ground, as his legs tensed. His fur emanated a powerful, ethereal glow, which clearly meant it was no ordinary wolf.

Mario and Sonic jumped into a fighting stance. "What the heck is that thing?" exclaimed Mario, "Have either of you seen it before?"

Zelda shook her head, aiming her bow at the creature. Link, however, clearly recognized it. "Why are you here?" he asked the wolf, "I thought you had moved on years ago."

Zelda turned to Link. "You know this being?" she asked.

Link moved past the other three, getting closer to the wolf. "He is not our enemy," he said, before turning back to the wolf, "You said you gave me all you had. What has happened to you?"

The wolf didn't answer, instead beginning to growl, and crouching down. Mario, Sonic, and Zelda moved to stop it, but too slowly. The creature leapt from its position, tackling Link.

* * *

><p>For Link, the world seemed to swirl upon contact with the wolf. A faint, white glow began to spread across his vision, obscuring the entire world. Finally, the light began to fade, and a new world began to appear. The ground consisted of a ghostly fog, with nothing visible beneath it. In the distance, a large castle and a tree stretched up into the gray sky. Knowing what else was coming, Link turned to see the golden wolf, sitting on its back feet. Giving a howl, the wolf suddenly changed in a flash of light, assuming the true form Link had dubbed the "Hero's Shade."<p>

The Shade wore aged brown armor of a knight, with branches having wormed its way into the shoulder. He held a long sword in his left hand, and a round shield in the other. The chest-plate had two eyes and what looked like a beak below the pectorals. The stomach, forearms, and legs had no armor covering them, but instead of flesh, the body parts appeared as transparent bones. The helmet, with two horns on the side, one of which was broken, and one on the top, had an opening giving a view of the specter's face. He had the appearance of a transparent skull, with one of his eyes missing, leaving a black hole. The other eye had a bright red, glowing pupil, resembling the eyes of his wolf form.

Link smiled. "I'm surprised to see you again."

The Shade didn't return the gesture, but then again, skulls aren't really the best at smiling. "I know. It is good to see you living well after all this time," he replied, with his echoing, ghostly voice.

"So why did you return?" asked Link, "You said I'd learned all of your techniques the last time I saw you. Is there-"

"I wish I could tell you everything right now," said the Shade, "But there is no time. I have barely enough power to maintain my appearance on this plane of existence now. You need to see this."

With that, the Shade began to move his blade, turning it so the flat blade faced both him and Link, and placing the blade in front of his feet. As he dragged the blade upwards, drawing it over his body, he...changed. His boots changed into normal brown leather, and his bare, ghostly legs were replaced by white leggings. His torso armor disappeared, to reveal a green tunic, his arms were covered by brown, fingerless gauntlets, and when the sword reached his face...

Link gasped.

There were differences, certainly. The Shade's hair was a much brighter color, almost ginger. Unlike Link's hair, which was brushed to the left, the Shade's was parted in the middle. His eyes, which were both present now, were a darker shade of blue, and they seemed less striking. He also seemed older, and more worn by battles. However, there was no mistaking it. The Shade looked like an almost perfect doppelganger of Link. His clothes were a perfect match, with the exception that his green tunic was less worn than Link's. He even held the Master Sword in his hand, replacing his broadsword.

"Who...what...are you?" stammered Link, "I knew the green tunic was a garb for other heroes, but...what are you?"

"You are not the first to bear the name Link," said the Shade, smiling, "And neither am I. You know me from legends as the Hero of Time."

"The Hero of Time?!" exclaimed Link, "But...that...why do you look like me-"

"I have no time to explain," said the Shade, as both he and the ghostly plain began to fade, "I can only point you in the right direction. Go back into the Temple of Time. There is a room you could not previously access before. Take your new companions with you. It will explain everything, I promise."

With those final words, both the world and the Shade began to glow white, and all form and color began to fade. Link reached out towards the Shade, but man faded from his sight, and Link could feel his presence leaving.

"WAIT!" he called, "I don't understan-"

And then, the whole world disappeared.

* * *

><p>"Link?! Link, wake up!"<p>

Link's eyes shot open again, and he realized he was back in the Temple of Time. He was lying on his back, and both Zelda and Mario were shaking his shoulders. Sonic stood over him, with a worried look on his face.

"Dude, you okay? You just sorta conked out, and the wolf disappeared," said the hedgehog.

Link struggled to get back on his feet, still dizzy from the last few minutes. Zelda helped him steady himself. "What was that creature?" she asked, "You never told me about it, but you recognized it."

Having regained his bearings, Link proceeded to describe how the Shade had appeared to him early in his journey, and insulted him, claiming Link was not worthy of being a hero, with his current skill and power. The Shade then began to pass on sacred and extremely difficult techniques and forcing him to find the whistling stones to summon him. Link had inquired as to the Shade's identity, but all of these questions had been ignored. The Shade had eventually disappeared after teaching seven hidden skills, seemingly forever...until now. Link then recounted his meeting with Shade that had just occurred, but when he froze up when he tried to describe the Shade's human form.

"He...he looked just like me," Link managed to stutter, "He even had the same clothes, and the Master Sword! It wouldn't be impossible for...for someone to mistake him for me. We could almost be the same person!"

"And he said...he was the Hero of Time?" asked Zelda.

"Uh, not to be rude here, but in case you forgot, we're kind of out of the loop here. Who the heck is the Hero of Time?" said Sonic.

Sighing, Zelda described the legend of how the boy from the forest appeared before Hyrule Castle, more than one hundred years ago. He brought a warning that Ganondorf, the current king of the Gerudo, planned to betray the Hylian Crown. He claimed to have seen a future in which Ganondorf opened the Sacred Realm, using its powers to ravage Hyrule for seven years. Using this knowledge, the king had Ganondorf arrested and executed, which of course didn't work. The boy, having saved the land by traveling through time, was named the Hero of Time.

"Wow," said Sonic, "Real creative title."

Everybody looked at him. "You're kind of ruining the moment, Sonic," said Mario.

Link continued, "He told me that there was a room in the Temple of Time, one that I could not enter before. He said there would be an explanation that all of us needed to see."

"Wait," said Sonic, "Aren't we standing in the ruins of the Temple of Time?"

"Yes," said Link, "However, he didn't mean this one."

Link led the group back to the main temple, past the twin statues. They walked up one of the twin staircases to where the entrance of the temple would have been. The solitary door, still standing, was now in front of them. The knobs and frames had rusted, and it was nothing short of amazing that the door had not tipped and fallen after all this time.

"Watch this," said Link, and he pushed the door open.

Mario and Sonic gasped.

* * *

><p>Instead of the grassy ruins that should have been on the other side, the door led to a massive hall, with a grand staircase leading downwards. The two statues and the walls had been restored, with no trace of the ivy covering them. In the center of the room, the brown circle with the Triforce in the center now resembled a flat alter. Glass windows lined the side, leaving golden pools of sunlight along the floor. Past the two statues, another doorway led to the room of the Master Sword.<p>

"This is...this is..." stammered Mario, trying to find the words to describe the impossible sight.

Zelda stared as well, but her gaze was of awe. "You told me of this place, but I never would've believed it was this incredible."

Link smiled. "Believe me, this left an impact on me as well," he said.

Sonic looked around the temple. "So, the Shade said there was a room you couldn't get into?" he asked.

Link nodded. "Over here," he said, as he walked past the Triforce symbol to a door on the right side of it. The door was carved out of white marble, standing in contrast to the gray brick that formed the rest of the temple. There was no handle, and the hinges must have been on the other side. On the front, four clear glass balls were placed into the stone, arranged in a diamond pattern. Link had strained against the door with all his strength, but even with Midna's help, as well as his ball and chain, the door refused to budge. Zelda noticed that there had been no trace of the door, or the room that lay beyond it, in the ruined temple of the present.

As soon as Link got close to the door, the sphere on the top of the pattern suddenly began to glow a bright, vivid green, matching the color of his tunic. "That happened every time I approached it," he said, "But I could never decipher the meaning."

Zelda followed him, staring at the door. "Perhaps it senses your presence, somehow, but if that were true, why-" She suddenly stopped. Once she had reached the same proximity as Link, the lowest glass orb on the door had begun to shine as well. Unlike Link's, however, the ball emitted a vibrant purple.

"That...never happened before," said Link, curiously.

"Wait a minute," said Sonic, as he walked up next to them. As soon as he was close to the door, the orb on the right began to glow, in addition to the others. This time, the color was a brilliant blue, matching Sonic's body.

"But...why would it react to you?" asked Zelda, confusion all over her face.

"I think maybe we're supposed to be here," Sonic responded, "All of us." He turned. "Mario, come over here."

Mario obeyed, standing in line with the other three. Once again, the door reacted to Mario's being in its vicinity. The final orb, on the left, joined the others with a color of its own, this time being the bright red of Mario's clothes. With all four spheres glowing bright, a massive slamming noise came from the door. Then it began to slide backwards, finally revealing the room that lay beyond. The door clunked against the wall behind it, and all four orbs faded to their original clear color.

Link and the others cautiously proceeded through the newly open passageway, finding a single, seemingly ordinary, square room. In the middle, there stood a single column, reaching less than three feet high. On top, a flat, stone disk with no distinguishing features sat. In front of the column, there was a sword pedestal, resembling the one the Master Sword had lain in.

"Think we're supposed to put the sword in there?" asked Sonic, pointing to the pedestal.

Link looked at the room. It didn't seem like a trap, and even after the shocking revelation that had been kept from him, Link still trusted the Shade. "Let's see what happens," he answered, before he took the blade, and stabbed it into the slot.

Suddenly, the light in the room dimmed, and the door slowly slid shut once more. The stone disk lit up, with runes around the perimeter beginning to shine blue. The disk began to spin in its place, and another blue light began to gather in the center. The ball of light grew, eventually bursting in a blinding explosion that forced the quartet to cover their eyes. Once the glare had subsided, they turned to see that a figure, composed entirely of the blue light, stood over the disk.

His body was transparent, but his features were still fully visible. His face was a perfect match of the description Link gave of the Hero's Shade, almost matching Link himself. He wore the same clothes, and held the Master Sword. Unlike Link had said, however, the man seemed about the same age, and less like a battle weary soldier.

Opening his eyes,, the man looked down at the group, but not at any of their faces. Clearly, this was some kind of recorded communication. The man opened his mouth, and began to speak with an echoing, ghostly voice, as though his voice came from across the distance in a cave.

"Welcome," he said, "My name is Link. You may know me as the Hero of Time, although I do not know how much time will have passed since I created this message. You probably wonder why you are here. Before I can tell you, you need to know the truth, all of it." He held out his arm, and a shining white sphere gathered in his palm. "Allow me to show you everything." The sphere expanded, engulfing the quartet. Suddenly, Link and Zelda's minds were completely overwhelmed by the onslaught on new knowledge and memories that began to bombard their minds.

_ They saw the warrior named Link, chosen knight of the Goddess Hylia,and their war against the Great King of Demons, Demise. The Hero fell in battle, and Hylia was barely able to imprison Demise. The Goddess swore that her soul, as well as that of her Hero, would forever be reborn in times of need. She then reincarnated herself as an ordinary mortal, and became the first Zelda. Link, also reborn, became her closest friend, and neither knew of their shared history. When Demise's soldiers, seeking to free their Master attempted to claim the Goddess's soul, both would become aware, and Link would journey to forge the Master Sword. Despite all their efforts, Demise would be released, only to be challenged by Link to single combat. The Hero of the Goddess was successful, and Demise was slain. With his last breath, the Demon King cursed those possessing the blood of the Goddess and the spirit of the Hero, ensuring that an incarnation of his hatred would follow them eternally, forever striving to avenge him. The Hero, and the fallen Goddess, free from evil, founded the land of Hyrule, named in honor of the Goddess. Demise's hatred pooled, and they saw his incarnation emerge. Ganondorf._

Mario and Sonic saw all of this, but only the images. Link and Zelda, on the other hand, were completely swarmed, as entire lifetimes they had lived before came to them again. Link saw himself, becoming the valiant Hero clothed in green every time, slaying evil where it rose. He saw himself as the Hero of Time, battling Ganondorf in an alternate Hyrule that had been ravaged for seven years. Through every life, there was one constant. Zelda, the wise princess, guide and ally to the Hero.

Zelda saw herself as the great Goddess, standing alongside the likes of Din, Nayru, and Farore, battling alongside her people. She saw herself as the Princess of Destiny, hiding from Ganondorf for seven years, as she waited for her Hero to remerge from the Sacred Realm. Through every life, there was one constant. Link, the valiant and selfless Hero, who stood to defend the land when no other mortal could.

The projection of the Hero of Time lowered his hand once the recounting had subsided. "Now you understand," he said, "In an attempt to prevent Ganondorf from ruining the land of Hyrule, as I had seen, I prevented him from ever entering the Sacred Realm, traveling back in time. However, during my passage to the past, I observed a horrible future. My efforts would succeed, but Ganondorf would still gain the power of the gods, and rise twice more. The first time, the Hero would vanquish him, but the second time would occur in the distant future, orchestrated by two lesser evils, at a time when the legendary Hero would not be there. Warriors of this future would journey back through time to find the Hero and the Princess for help."

Mario and Sonic gasped. He was right about everything.

"I also saw a future where the heroes failed," continued the projection, "The end of the world, created by Ganondorf and the lesser evils, would come in three phases. The first would be known as the Burning. A vicious beast, tainted into a monstrosity by Ganondorf, would rampage across the land, covering it in flame, and eradicating any remaining signs of the peaceful world."

"Bowser," said Mario, through bated breath.

"The second phase would be the Reconstruction. A scientist, obsessed with constructing horrific mechanical beings, would be merged with his creations. Under Ganondorf's orders, this man would traverse the ruined land, rebuilding it according to his master's wishes."

"Eggman," said Sonic.

"Finally, Ganondorf would step into his new world. Any survivors would be subjugated to his rule, and forced to obey his every whim. The Age of Darkness would dawn, and the people would never find hope in the shadows."

The team slowly ingested these words. For the first time, they were learning exactly what would occur if they let the world down. The suffering would be more terrible than any of them could have pictured, and if they failed it would all be on their heads. For Mario and Sonic, it was especially shocking. Bowser and Robotnik had never gone so far before, and the idea that they would be willing to completely ruin the world was horrible.

After a brief pause, the Hero of Time continued, "I knew I had to ensure the horrible visions I witnessed never came to pass. To do so, I sought out the great Sages, the only other people with knowledge of the future I had lived. Over the years, in addition to the creation of this chamber, we forged mystic stones, one for each of the four heroes who would challenge Ganondorf. These stones would activate at the critical moments, giving the heroes the power they would need to defeat their mortal enemies. The stones were placed in four temples, scattered throughout the land, designed to test the heroes, and ensure they would be worthy of the stones' power. Go and speak to the great Light Spirits. They will guide you to the temples. And to ease your travels, I grant you a gift."

Opening his palm again, the Hero gathered a glowing blue sphere of ethereal energy, which floated down towards Zelda's hands. She stretched them out, to catch the ball, which settled in her palms, as the light slowly began to fade, revealing a solid, brilliant blue object. Zelda's eyes widened in shock, as she stared down at the Ocarina of Time, long thought to have been lost by the Royal Family of Hyrule.

"The Ocarina will enable you to reach anywhere you may need to go," explained the Hero, "Even through time itself. Now go, and retrieve the stones before it is too late. You four are the only hope for the world."

With those words, he vanished from sight, and the stone disk became inert once again. The stone doorway slid open again. The light flooded into the room once again, leaving an ordinary chamber.

"Well," said Sonic, uncomfortably shuffling his feet, "No pressure or anything, right guys?"

"We've got work to do," said Zelda.


	9. Chapter 8

**I'm really sorry this took so long. Honestly, this second semester of college has been a pain in my hide. On the plus side, vacation's coming up, and I should be able to get a lot of work done on this. My job isn't nearly as time consuming. So keep those reviews coming, I really appreciate them.**

** So I have a question for you guys: Should I keep doing my segments where the characters talk in the author's notes? I thought some of them were funny, but I feel like they throw off the balance. This isn't a humorless story, but some of the characters I've been bringing in aren't even from the three franchises, and they might distract from the chapters themselves. So, if you want to vote on it, go to my poll. Other than that, here we go!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: Gorons and Lava and Giant Lizard Monsters, Oh My!<p>

"Are you crazy?! You have no idea what could happen!" exclaimed Link.

"Hey, who was the one who lost the first time we had a sword duel?" countered Zelda.

"That's not the point! You can't just abandon the kingdom for who knows how long!"

"What part of **four** heroes did you not understand?!"

Sonic had to press a hand over his mouth to stop himself from roaring with laughter. "You two are like an old married couple!"

"Shut up, Sonic!" they responded simultaneously. Unfortunately, that just made him laugh that much harder.

Having left the Temple of Time, the quartet had decided to set up camp in the forest, as the moon had risen long ago. Since they were already in the province, the logical move would be to move to Faron Spring and speak with its spirit first, which they would do tomorrow. Mario was currently roasting some meat over a fire, Link and Zelda were once again arguing about whether or not she should accompany them, and Sonic was exploiting them for his amusement. Epona and Shade had eaten some of the nearby grass, wandered away (Presumably to find more), returned, and gone to sleep.

"Look," said Zelda, "I need to be here. The Hero said it would take all four of us. This is far more important than just dealing with the political madness of Hyrule. The people will be okay if I'm gone for a few days. Plus, with the time travel properties of the Ocarina, we can just come back to any time we want."

Link sighed. He knew she was right, and if the Hero was correct, she would be essential in stoping Ganondorf. That being said, he didn't like to admit it. He hated putting her in danger, as Zelda was his closest friend. It also bothered him to remove her from the duty to the country she treasured so much.

Zelda looked grimly at him. As difficult as this was for him, it was just as bad for her. Zelda was more devoted to her country than any monarch of Hyrule had ever been, and being forced to leave her people in the care of other politicians, even the ones she trusted, deeply worried her. However, she did not possess the Triforce of Wisdom for nothing. Her logical nature reminded her that if she stayed behind, the others could lose the battle, leaving the world of the future in ruins. She refused to allow that, even to a world and people she would never meet, and who likely had no idea she had ever lived.

Sonic, getting tired of messing with Link and Zelda, moved over to Mario, who continued to prepare the meal for his comrades.

"So," said the plumber, with a grin on his face, "Four extraordinary individuals, three of whom are men, are the only hope to save the world. Now all we need are matching blue uniforms and a flying car."

Sonic chuckled to himself. "Yeah, well then I get to be the Torch. You can be stretchtastic man." He and Mario fell on their backs from laughing. "And that mean Link is stuck being the walking pile of orange rocks!" he said, laughing again.

Link and Zelda stared at the beings from the future. "Er...what are you talking about?" Link asked, scratching behind one of his pointed ears.

Sonic had to hold back his snickering again. "When we go to the future, we'll have to introduce you to comic books. Or maybe we'll just keep making references that you don't understand!" he said as he broke his composure and fell down laughing again.

Mario, not quite as broken by the dumb joke as his friend, sat back up and resumed his task of cooking. "Sorry about that," he said, turning to the warrior and the queen, "I couldn't resist. It's just things from the future, don't be concerned with it."

Link opened his mouth to respond, then closed it as words seemed to fail him. He settled for shuffling over to the fire and lying on his back. "I'm beginning to think I'm lucky to be dead long before you walk the Earth."

"Hey!" shouted Sonic.

* * *

><p>After a divided meal of fresh meat, with some extra produce grabbed from the forest (Mario had had to slap Sonic to get him to shut up about chili dogs), the quartet had grabbed a few hours of sleep. Link, being accustomed to it, woke just after sunrise. After rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and finding Mario and Zelda still asleep, Link yawned and was about to set out to find a stream and grab some drinking water, before he looked around and realized Sonic was nowhere in the general vicinity. Suddenly, he felt a huge burst of wind hit him in the face, as Sonic had suddenly zoomed back to the campsite, stopping just short of slamming into Link at high speed.<p>

"Rise and shine, Linky!" said Sonic, "It's time to go to work! Light Spirits are strict about time schedules, ya know!"

Link struggled to regain his bearings. That wind burst had caused his jaws to clamp down on his tongue like a bear trap, and he tried to rub it against the roof of his mouth to stop the soreness. "What...were you...doing?" he stammered through the pain.

"Just my morning couple a hundred miles," said Sonic, as though this was something commonplace among people.

"Did anyone see you?" Link asked, nervously. Sonic looked curiously at his face. All visible thoughts of the pain in his tongue were gone, and for the first time since they had met, Link seemed genuinely afraid.

"Uh, no," replied the confused hedgehog, "I don't think anybody lives this far out in the woods. There was talking bird, who yelled at me to buy stuff, but that was it. Weirdo."

Link breathed sigh of relief. He turned to the others, noticing they had been awoken by Sonic's speedy entrance, and were starting to climb on their feet. Mario stretched and yawned, before putting his shoes and hat back on. Zelda strapped her weapons on once more.

"Okay," said Link, rousing Epona and Shade, "Faron Spring isn't too far from here. Follow me."

With Mario joining Link on Epona, Zelda riding next to them, and Sonic jogging alongside them, Link led the team back the way they had came, passing through a short tunnel, and through the gate near Coro's shack. Eventually, the quartet arrived at a small spring, with a large, circular pool of water. Past it, three tiny cliffs led back up into the trees, towards the unknown source of the water.

Link stepped into the middle of the watery clearing. Raising his hands, Link turned towards the back of the spring, and called out, "Great Faron! We request an audience with you."

At first, nothing happened. Then, all of a sudden, a massive glowing sphere of light emerged from the water, glowing brighter by the second. Strange light patterns danced across the surface, giving the orb the appearance of several constantly shifting lines. Around the pulsating sphere, a massive shape began to come into focus, eventually gripping the sphere with all four of its limbs. The spirit took the form of a monkey like creature, glowing bright yellow-green, with gold tattoo-like markings present on its body and tail. The tail was as thin as a blade, but long enough to curl around to the monkey's back. Gold lines criss-crossed over the tail, and the tip was in the shape of an oval, with one long point sticking out of it.

_"Oh Hero, chosen by the Gods, I welcome your presence once more," _proclaimed the spirit in an echoing voice. Faron looked at the other three heroes, and continued, _"I see three others now accompany you. That is a sign that the time has come. When the Hero of Time predicted that the great evil would rise once again."_

"Yeah, that's about the gist of it," said Sonic, before Link could respond. Link shot him an annoyed glare.

_"Zelda, queen of Hyrule," _said Faron, _"Mario, Sonic, heroes of the distant future, you come to me to seek the location of the Mystic Stones. The Stones that will enable you to match the power of the Demon King and his allies."_

"Great Faron, where will we find these artifacts?" asked Zelda.

Faron seemed a little apprehensive as it answered, _"I cannot provide a direct answer, as you must prove yourselves worthy of the power of the Stones. This riddle will guide you to the first."_ The spirit paused before reciting the riddle.

_"You heroes who seek the greatest power,_

_Must obliterate the fortress walls, _

_For inside the fiery beast does it cower,_

_And the stone people do not hear it's call."_

The spirit then sat back on its sphere._ "You are the heroes chosen by the Gods, and the only ones that can discover this power. If you would stop the great evil, solve this riddle." _With those words, Faron dissolved into a flurry of golden wisps, fading from the sight of the quartet.

Sonic groaned. "Why does everything have to be coded in a riddle? Seriously, it's sadistic!"

Mario shrugged. "It doesn't matter. What we need to do is figure out what the riddle means. Now, there's a fiery beast, stone people, and a fortress, or something to that effect?"

Zelda thought for a moment. "Could stone men mean statues? There are multiple monuments of fallen Hylian soldiers. Obviously, they would not hear the call of the Stones."

Link shook his head. "None of those areas have anything related to a fiery beast," he responded, "But I can't think of anything that does-" he suddenly stopped.

"What? Did you have a brainwave?" asked Sonic.

"Zelda," said the warrior, "What if the stone people meant the Gorons? And the fortress and the fiery beast were both Death Mountain?"

Zelda's eyes lit up. "It's certainly a possibility."

"Who are the Gorons?" asked Mario.

"Creatures with rock-like bodies, and the foremost miners and smiths of Hyrule. They live on Death Mountain, the highest point in the kingdom. Death mountain is a volcano, but it hasn't erupted in centuries. It does fit the description."

"It's closer than the castle," said Link, "We can probably get there long before the sun sets."

"Well, what're we waiting for?" said Sonic. He turned around and raced off into the . About three seconds later, he came sprinting back to the others. "Uh, yeah, I forgot I have no idea where we are."

Mario groaned. "This is gonna be a long couple of days."

* * *

><p>Before setting out on their journey, the team grabbed some supplies. Link bought some extra lantern oil from Coro ("We'll be going in caves, most likely."), and they visited Trill's shop to get some potions just in case. Of course, that did't go as smoothly as hoped, since Trill immediately started pecking Sonic for running past without buying anything. It was only after Zelda had pulled out her own wallet that the bird had shut up.<p>

"You know what? I take back what I said when we got here!" said Sonic angrily, as he massaged his head, covered in tiny piercing marks, "The past sucks!"

"Next time, buy something, blue rodent! Hey!" shouted the bird.

They managed to exit the forest without incident, with one minor exception. Sonic had wandered away from the others out of boredom, and accidentally stepped into a small patch of Deku Babas, concealed under a pile of sticks. Sonic proceeded to confuse the heck out of his teammates with Little Shop of Horrors references, but those have all been done before, and this author will not stoop to that.

The four then made their way across Hyrule Fields, where no real monstrous threats approached them. Soon, they reached the province of Eldin, and Kakariko Village. Here, in sharp contrast to Faron's lands, the ground was a muddy brown, with a pathway of tan sand leading into the village. Passing through the simple brick and iron gate, the quartet entered the actual village, where the path led to the left, straight into the heart of several buildings of varying size. The closest was the tall, cylindrical brick sanctuary, grey and worn from years of use. Further down, a rugged brown cliff led upwards, towards the visible monolith of Death Mountain, visible over the town. Between the two led an isolated path, enclosed on either side, which Link knew from experience led into the town's graveyard. To the immediate right lay Eldin Spring, where the guardian Light Spirit of this province lay. Zelda made a mental note to go back to this spot right after the mountain, assuming their theory about the Temple's location was correct.

Since Mario and Sonic had not been seen breaking into the castle by the resident's of Kakariko, they didn't bother to done their cloaks once more. Leaving Epona and Shade at the entrance to village (The mountain was too steep for them), Link led the team down the sandy path, towards the sanctuary, and knocked on the wooden door. He figured that Renaldo would know of the Temple, and if there wasn't one, it would save the group the trouble of climbing Death Mountain for nothing.

Renaldo opened the door after a few seconds. The past two years after the Twilight war had aged him surprisingly little. His kind face remained that of the same wise man, who had once given safety to the children of Ordon. Dressed in robes resembling those of a priest, he immediately smiled upon discovering who was at his door.

"Link," said Renaldo, "Your Majesty. I welcome you to my home once more." He looked behind them, noticing Mario and Sonic for the first time. "I see you've brought some friends."

Zelda smiled politely as Renaldo remembered to bow to her. "There's no need for formalities, my friend. Call me Zelda."

"Hello," said Mario politely, shaking Renaldo's hand, "My name is Mario, and this is Sonic." Sonic gave a salute, causing Renaldo to chuckle.

"Renaldo, I need to ask you something. I would take the time to catch up, but we're in a hurry," said Link, apologetically. "You've had good relations with the Gorons for much longer than I. You've been up to Death Mountain more often. Do you know if there's a temple of some kind hidden in the mountain?"

Renaldo thought for a moment, then spoke, "I do know something. Several years ago, I was talking with Darbus, and he informed me that he had discovered a strange door inside the crater of Death Mountain. It was very ornate, something that Gorons would never build. On the door, there was a written message in an old dialect of Hylian, which claimed that 'they' would come to the door when the time was right."

Sonic grinned. "Sounds like we got ourselves a Temple."

Renaldo looked at the two strangers quizzically. "What is it you seek in this so-called Temple?"

Link turned to his friend, a nervous look on his face that Renaldo had not seen in two years. "I wish we had time to tell you everything, old friend, but this is far too urgent," he said.

"I understand," replied the shaman, "Good fortune, then."

"Let's hope we don't need it," said Mario.

* * *

><p>Traveling up the rocky path to Death Mountain was the most uncomfortable experience the group had gone through all day. The incline was almost as harsh as the sun, and Mario immediately regretted not bringing a pair of boots to the past. The sun itself was torture, bearing down upon the team with hot fury. Cliffs in the road had to be climbed with crude metal ladders, fashioned out of fences and scrap that, due to the heat, burned, even through their gloves. Thankfully, there were no monsters to harass them, with the Bublins gone.<p>

Sonic downed the last bottle of water. "Which is worse, dying of whatever murderous test we have to pass to get the stone, or dying of heatstroke trying to get to it?"

"Stop complaining," snapped Link, who secretly wanted to dive into a half-frozen lake, but he wasn't going to tell Sonic that.

Suddenly Zelda had a thought. "Wait a minute," she told her comrades, "I just remembered something." She pulled out the Ocarina of Time from the temple of the past. "In the stories, there was a melody that the Hero of Time used to call down rain. I think I know the song..."

She set the tip of the Ocarina to her lips and blew. A quick, upbeat tune issued from the instrument, beginning with three repeated notes. At first, nothing happened, but then sky began to darken. Within a few seconds, raindrops began to descend, and distant claps of thunder resonated throughout the mountain.

"The Song of Storms..." said the queen with awe.

"And here comes the humidity-" Sonic started, before a massive group of black clouds pushed in front of the sun, covering it completely, and causing the temperature to drop several degrees in the space of about one minute. "Never mind."

"Let's hurry," said Zelda, "The spell only lasts for a few minutes."

The team scurried up the mountain trail, allowing the rain to fall upon them. They did have to go through some mud, but it was a small price to pay for being cooler. Eventually, they reached the area below the mountain's peak, and a large, circular clearing. Up on a ledge nearby, several Gorons were resting in a nearby hot spring, even with the rain still coming down. Speaking of the Song of Storms, the effects had begun to wear off, and the sky was slowly clearing up.

The Gorons soon noticed the group of people gathering below them. Climbing out of the spring, the leapt down to the clearing to great the quartet. Mario and Sonic noticed that Link and Zelda had been logical in connecting them to the stone people of the riddle. The Gorons' hide could certainly be mistaken for rocks if one wasn't observant. At the front stood Gor Coron, the leader of the tribe, with his cropped hair and smaller stature compared to his brothers. Despite this, he carried an aura of authority, and Mario was sure this was one guy he did not want to cross.

However, Gor Coron gave a great, warm smile upon noticing Link and Zelda. He walked over to them and grasped Link's hand. The hero winced at the strength of the handshake, but managed to cover it up pretty well. "Brother Link!" roared Gor Coron in a cheery voice, " And her majesty! It's always a pleasure to see you and your friends! What brings you to our home?"

Link smiled back, while working his hand to make sure nothing got broken. Despite the bone-crushing gestures of respect, he liked Gor Coron. The man treated him like a member of their tribe, thanks to Link's services during the Twilight War. "Hello, Gor Coron," said the Hero, "We need to speak to Darbus. It's urgent."

Gor Coron nodded. The leader then walked over to one of his brothers, who immediately curled into a ball. Coron stood on top of the other Goron, bracing his legs. The curled Goron began shuddering, before suddenly snapping back upright. The force launched Coron into the air, as Mario and Sonic watched with awe. Gor Coron landed on a small ledge with a black cave leading into the mountain, and walked inside. After a few minutes, he came back out again, accompanied by a much larger Goron with a flat top haircut, Darbus. The massive Goron and his friend jumped off the ledge, landing with a thunderous crack in front of the quartet. Sonic and Mario almost fell over from the force.

"Link!" roared the massive Goron, delivering a painful slap to Link's back (Zelda had to suppress a laugh at Link's face), "How the hell are you, brother? You never visit!"

Link carefully stood upright again, so as to avoid shattering any vital bones. "I'm...fine, thank you...Darbus..." he managed to grunt out through the pain.

Darbus turned and bowed respectfully to Zelda, who returned the gesture. He then turned to Mario and Sonic. "Any friend of our brother is a friend of ours!" he shouted merrily, before grabbing their hands and wringing them. The plumber and the hedgehog suddenly regretted smirking at Link's earlier experience. Darbus then returned his attention to Link.

"My friends and I are on an important mission," the warrior stated, "We've learned that there may be some kind of temple inside of Death Mountain. Would you know anything about it?"

Darbus' face turned from it's welcoming joy to a deathly serious. He nodded, and gestured to the group. "Follow me."

* * *

><p>The Goron leader led them up Death Mountain trails, around to one particular cave on the side. Link had never used this entrance during his previous visits, and was completely unprepared for what lay on the inside.<p>

The cavern on the inside resembled parts of the Goron Mines, but far more treacherous. A few large rock platforms lay on the lava, but in between, there lay only a handful of smaller rocks, barely a meter in diameter. Some of those had long cracks, clearly indicating instability. Rocks occasionally dropped from the ceiling, landing with a splash in the boiling lava. The heat from outside had been a pain, but this was downright unbearable. Even Sonic, who didn't really wear any clothes, was sweating enough to fill a bathtub.

Across the gap, sticking out like a sore thumb, sat a marble door against the wall. The design slightly resembled that of the Temple of Time, with one exception: The orb on the left, which had reacted to Mario, was replaced with a much larger red stone, as large as Mario's head. It didn't take a genius to figure who was supposed to go in that temple. An inscription in ancient Hylian text was on the front, as stated by Renaldo.

"We noticed that door long ago, brothers," said Darbus, "But it has resisted all our attempts to enter. Do you know how?"

"Yes," Link replied, "That door can only be opened by one of our...comrades." He pointed to Mario.

"It's a long story," said Sonic, responding to the inquiring look on Darbus' face, "We don't have time to tell you."

Mario looked completely exasperated, and it had nothing to do with the heat. "Lava!" he groaned, "Why is it always lava?!" Seriously, I have to go through this every single flippin' World 8, Bowser's Castle, you name it!"

"SHHH!" snapped Sonic, "We don't know we're video game characters, remember? This isn't that kind of fic!"

"Did...we just break the fourth wall on two different levels?" asked Zelda.

"I think we did," said Mario, "Is the author seriously trying to make this situation funnier by doing-"

Dammit! Stop mutilating the fourth wall! Deadpool's doing it enough on my end!

The quartet decided to take that random message from the skies to heart, and pretended the conversation had never happened.

Mario turned to the others. "Since it's just for me, there's really no reason for you to come across the cavern, too." The others agreed, perhaps a little too easily.

Darbus turned to Mario. "One of us will assist you, brother," he stated, "We are resistant to the heat and lava. We will be fine." He turned behind him to call up a Goron.

Mario, reflecting on how polite these guys were being, since they had only just met the plumber, thanked Darbus. The Goron, obeying his chief's orders, walked to the edge of the lava and dived in, curling into a ball. Mario followed, jumping on top of the makeshift platform, which began to move towards the door, thanks to the propulsion of the Goron's limbs under the lava. Mario wiped the sweat off his head, thankful he had been in worse conditions than this in his lifetime.

Of course, that was when the massive reptilian beast lunged out of the lava at him.

* * *

><p>"Dodogos!" roared Darbus, as he rushed to the edge of the platform, followed by Mario's three companions. The creature was far larger than the ones Link had previously fought, measuring about three meters long. Resembling a cross between a gecko and crocodile, the beast snapped it's large jaws at Mario, who managed to leap off the Goron ride and onto one of the small islands. The Goron swam over to the other side, behind the Dodongo.<p>

"It's not just him," growled Link, drawing the Master Sword. His words proved to be true, as a group of regular sized Dodongos scuttled up to the platform the heroes stood on, baring their teeth and snarling.

"Whoa!" shouted Sonic, as the nearest one launched a blast of flame towards him. He cleared it with a jump, and launched his axe kick towards the monster's back. Unfortunately, he was only met with a clanging sound almost like metal, and his blow glanced harmlessly off of the hide.

"Their armor's too thick, go for the tails!" shouted Link, as he front-flipped over his enemy and sliced off the aforementioned appendage with a single sword stroke. Cutting off, or even just slicing a Dodogo's tail was a surefire way to kill it; the tail was the creature's largest organ, and also produced the gases that powered the creature's fire breath. Since the gas combusted on contact with air, the resulting combustion would easily consume the monster.

Zelda and Sonic followed suit, with the queen using her dagger to clip the tail of two lizards nearing her. Sonic spin dashed into the tails with enough force to tear them from the bodies. Darbus, having been raised in a mountain where they were common, smashed them to bits with no difficulty One of this size, however, was nearly unheard of, and killing it's offspring was not going to make it less dangerous.

"We've got to help Mario!" shouted Zelda, now that the immediate threat had been dealt with. The plumber had been leaping around the floating islands, all the while being followed by a giant, fire-breathing lizard. Dodongo's were smart, and it could tell Mario's flesh would be far more tender than the rough Goron hide.

"Alright, you know what?!" shouted Mario, turning to face his enemy, "That's it! No more Mr. Nice Guy!" He reached into his hat, pulling out a blue, circular flower that appeared to have eyes on it. He always kept power ups in places most people wouldn't check. It had saved his hide multiple times.

Mario then ate the Ice Flower. All of a sudden, a bright white light shone over Mario, as cold energies flooded through his veins. Eventually, the sparkles faded, revealing that Mario's clothes had changed color. His hat and shirt were now pure with, with the overalls taking on a sky blue shade.

Mario was now Ice Mario!

The Dodongo, sensing that it's dinner would not go down easy, opened it's gaping mouth in anticipation for a blast of fire. But Mario was quicker, chucking multiple ice balls down it's gullet. The monster, unable to handle the freezing projectiles in it's throat, started choking and thrashing around in the lava, causing it's tail to surface. Mario wasted no time in freezing the tail solid, and Zelda followed up with an arrow, causing the tail to shatter.

And then came the explosion.

Thankfully, Mario was able to conjure up a spherical shield made of solid ice, which protected him from the force of the blast. He was launched backwards, landing in front of the door. The others had to dive for cover, with Sonic easily out pacing them. Zelda threw up a magic barrier to protect them from any flying rock fragments. When the dust settled, the three humans and Goron looked over at the door, where Mario's shield had cushioned his impact against the wall. Getting back on his feet, the plumber gave his friends the thumbs up.

"Made it!" he called across the cavern.

"Good," responded Zelda, "We won't be allowed to accompany you into the temple, so...good luck." Link nodded in agreement.

Sonic returned Mario's gesture with a peace sign. "Knock 'em dead, Marty!"

Mario grinned. He then turned to the door, focusing on the burning red orb on the left vertex of the diamond pattern. As he approached, the orb glowed with a brilliant burst of light, and the door slowly slid open, with nothing distinguishable on the other side. All that was visible was blackness.

Steeling his spirit for anything, Mario walked inside.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it. If you think that they maybe found this temple too fast, don't worry. The first ones are always easy. The rest, on the other hand...<strong>


	10. Chapter 9

**Alright, here's the first trial. Hope Mario holds out on this one. I think this is an okay chapter, but then again, what do I know?**

**Jairus1023: The temple's aren't going to be big, huge dungeons, as you see in this chapter. There might be a water area later on, and I will definitely be exploiting Sonic's inability to swim for joke purposes, because I'm such a nice guy!**

**Guest Review: Kirby will not be in this story. Sorry.**

**Christian Ape99: What do you mean? They're friends, they just get on each other's nerves sometimes. **

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: The Dark Side of the Plumber<p>

The first thing he knew was falling.

Mario was in his infant body once more, falling from the sky, towards Yoshi's Island. His brain, while not as regressed as his body, was unaware of what was happening. All he had was a vague conscious feeling that he had experienced this before. As he approached the green and brown chunk of land, he suddenly realized there was no green dinosaur to catch him.

Then he hit the ground.

There was no bone-shattering impact against the hard earth. Instead, Mario simply fell through the island, into a pitch black area. As he passed through the ground, Mario returned to his adult body. His mind was barely able to process that such a thing should not have been possible, as he was completely overwhelmed by one, powerful emotion: fear.

"YOU ARE A FOOL."

The voice emanated from all directions around him, and from inside Mario's mind. He frantically looked around, trying to find the source, but it eluded him. The scenery changed, shifting to a dark throne room, with a bridge over a deep black pit. On one end, Mario recognized himself, and Bowser stood across from him, spewing fireballs. Floating in the distance, Mario realized he was watching a recreation of his first battle with his nemesis. He watched as his former self leapt over the massive turtle monster, slicing the bridge rope and sending the Koopa King plummeting into the dark.

"THESE ARE THE GREATEST OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS?" the voice spoke again, with an accusatory tone. The voice itself was a deep, piercing sound, and Mario couldn't even place the gender. As it spoke, he saw various images of his battles, flashing before his eyes in rapid succession; the battle in the sky on Delfino Island, where he and F.L.U.D.D. tipped the massive tub over, sending Bowser and his son falling; himself spinning Bowser around by his tail, sending him flying into a bomb; Bowser, transformed into a catlike monster by a Super Bell, chasing Mario up a building.

"YOU HAVE NO PLACE AMONG THESE HEROES," the mysterious voice spat, as the scene faded to white light. Two blood red eyes appeared out of nowhere, and a shape soon followed. Mario gasped as he stared at a massive, dark grey Bowser, who spoke with the same voice he had been hearing, "YOU ARE NO LEGENDARY WARRIOR."

With those words, the shadow Bowser backhanded Mario with one massive claw, sending him flying backward, where no wall would stop him. However, the pain from the blow was not physical; rather, Mario felt the pain in his heart and mind, the way insults sting the ego of the victim and cause them to fell self-doubt. Mario felt that as he slammed into the ground, and skidded down. Trying to fight it, he stood up and faced the Bowser copy.

Any other time, Mario would have questioned just what was going on. He would have questioned the shadow Bowser, or attempted to find out just where he was at the moment. However, in this dark world, his brain insisted that the most important objective was to defend himself, mentally and physically, even if it was incapable of putting a reason into words.

"That's not true..." Mario retorted, as he used his still active Ice powers to toss several snowballs at the dark Bowser copy. The figure, however, evaded with ease, seizing Mario with one massive claw and bashing his body against the ground.

"YOU ARE A JOKE," snarled the figure, and at that moment, Mario could've sworn he heard Bowser's mocking voice in it, "SONIC RESCUES HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT CREATURES. LINK SAVED AN ENTIRE KINGDOM. YOU CAN BARELY SAVE A SINGLE PRINCESS. YOU ARE NO HERO. YOU ARE NOTHING." Every spoken word felt like a fireball directly to Mario's heart, burning away at his spirit. With those insults, the Bowser copy tossed Mario over his shoulder like a rag doll, his clothes returning to normal colors as his Ice powers faded.

Internally, Mario took in every word. The creature was right. He was just a plumber who possessed impressive jumping abilities, and sometimes saved his princess friend. He possessed no hero spirit, magic powers, or super speed. Why was he bothering to fight alongside the others? He was worthless, he should-

No.

"I'M NOT WORTHLESS!" Mario roared angrily, as he leaped to his feet. The false Bowser sprayed ash-grey fireballs everywhere, but Mario jumped, ducked, and dodged all of them. He rolled over to the fake Bowser and angrily punched his nose, sending the shadowy turtle toppling over. Mario was not worthless, his brain retaliated.

"I defeated the Shadow Queen!" shouted the plumber, as he dealt blow after blow to his Koopa nemesis, "I stopped the void from consuming all of existence! I helped stop the Shroobs! Bowser couldn't defeat me with the power of the Grand Stars! Look at that! Look at that and tell me I'm no hero!" As Mario brought up the memories of each previous victory, the scenery around him changed, reflecting those memories; Mario dodging bolts of black lightning in the Palace of Shadow; Mario desperately fighting Count Bleck, even if he could not be hurt; Mario and Luigi inside Peach's Castle, carrying their younger selves, as an army of humanoid purple mushroom aliens stood against them; Mario falling towards a massive black hole, slamming meteors to push Bowser into it.

The shadow Bowser tried to rise once again, but a blow from Mario's hammer sent him flying again with a resounding crack. "You think I'm nothing?" demanded the plumber, panting, "Prove it."

The Bowser projection managed to make it to it's feet. Turning to Mario, it cackled with horrid laughter, the very sound beating against Mario's spirit. "YOU CANNOT WIN HERE," said the phantom, "I WILL SHOW YOU."

The specter proceeded to spasm, before shifting form into Princess Peach, during her brief possession by the Shadow Queen. "Mario..." the shadow spoke in her voice, or at least something that sounded almost exactly like it, "You can't save me." As she spoke, shadow arms rose out of the ground, and reached for Mario from all directions.

However, by this point, Mario wasn't buying it. Peach wasn't possessed by the Shadow Queen anymore, and she sure as hell wasn't here in front of him. He jumped away from the hands, twisting in the air to avoid the black bolts of lightning that shot out at him. "Using the Shadow Queen's same tricks," he laughed to himself, "You have no originality, do you?" Bearing down on the Peach illusion, he kicked out with one foot, no completely connecting, but managing to knock her off her feet. Gnashing her teeth with fury, the false Peach turned to Mario, rage filling her pure red eyes.

"YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF. YOU ARE WRONG," she snarled in her previous voice, reaching forward with both hands. Mario braced himself, waiting for the flash that indicated a lightning blast, but it never came. Instead, trails of black smoke appeared all of sudden, snaking towards him from all directions. They twirled around his limbs and chest, and transformed into solid, black, constricting tentacles. Mario screamed as he felt them tighten around his body, pressing with enough force to crush bones. One tentacle slipped up his back, with it's tip touching the back of his neck.

Then it pierced.

Mario felt all sense of touch abandon him, and felt like he was completely separating from his body. As he dived into his memories once more, he started to see events of his life played out once more; Mario, captured by King Boo and his gang, trapped inside a painting; Luigi, his Poltergust 3000 in pieces, his body now claimed by the Boos-

"Wait a minute!" shouted Mario, "That's not what happened! He saved-"

"SILENCE," uttered the shadow being, and Mario felt himself unable to even think as more memories were displayed in full view; Bowser tossing Mario and Luigi off of his Tower, with Peach standing by his side, _happy;_ Shroobs attaching the Mario Brothers to trees to suck the vim out; Count Bleck, standing with a single tear falling out of his eye, as the massive void consumed all of existence. Mario observed every failure he had ever faced, every time his enemies destroyed the world, and neither he, nor his brother, nor any of their friends could stop it...

"NO!" Mario screamed, as he reached back and wrenched the tentacle from the back of his neck. Those memories were lies. In every one of those, Mario, Luigi, or someone on the side of good had triumphed. He had never failed before, and he would not fail now. With his mind cleared of the psychological torture, Mario tore off every single tentacle griping his body, hurling them at the shadow of Princess Peach.

Enraged, the shadow snarled again, before proceeding to change form again. This time, it opted to take Mario's form, although slightly taller than the real thing. "ARROGANT FOOL!" it roared, anger showing in it's echoing voice for the first time. Pulling out a hammer much larger than Mario's, the doppelganger dived at the plumber.

However, Mario was more than prepared for this, and back-flipped away from the swinging mallet. "You. Messed. With. My. Mind," Mario growled with fury, as he landed on two feet again. He than made a massive jump across the white landscape, before planting both feet on the shadow's head, "Nobody. Does. That."

Mario then seized his enemy's legs, raising him up in the air before slamming him into the ground. The shadowy hammer went flying out of the creature's grasp, but that wasn't the end of it. Mario proceeded to repeat the action several times, smashing his copy into the floor with increasing fury. After a few slams, he pulled out his own hammer, and swung it into the dark Mario like a golf club, sending him flying across the bare, white landscape.

"Had enough yet?" he asked, standing defiantly. The dark Mario responded with a snarl, leaping to his feet and charging the real thing with his full speed.

Mario had expected another fury-fueled, badly-planned attack, however, and responded by leaping over the swinging fists. Bringing his hammer down upon his enemy's skull, Mario knocked him face-first into the ground. Seizing his doppelgangers legs, Mario leaned back on his heels, swinging him around in a circle, a favorite technique of his. As he spun faster and faster, gaining momentum, he eventually hurled his counterpart with every once of strength in his body. The dark Mario flew like a missile, launching into the distance several dozen meters away. Then he hit the ground, skidded a little farther, and disintegrated in a burst of black particles.

"YOU HAVE DONE WELL," spoke the same voice as before, now emanating from all around Mario. Unlike before, the malicious and hateful tone had disappeared, replaced by a calm and soft voice, like that of a father.

"So that was the test," said Mario, "Was it really necessary to crush my bones, and mentally torment me?"

"THIS BATTLE HAS TAKE PLACE INSIDE YOUR MIND," answered the voice, "THE PHYSICAL WOUNDS WILL NOT APPEAR WHEN YOU LEAVE. REGARDING THE ATTACK ON YOUR FEELINGS, IT WAS NECESSARY FOR YOU TO OVERCOME YOUR GREATEST FLAWS AND FEARS. YOU NEEDED TO BE DEEMED WORTHY TO FIGHT GANONDORF AND HIS ALLIES."

"And did I?" asked the plumber, a little hesitant after his experience.

"YES," replied the voice. A ball of light, red as blood, began to gather in front of Mario. As it swelled, and grew to the size of his fist, it floated towards his open hand. The ball turned white, flashed red once more, and burst like a bubble. Inside the ball lay a small bracelet, consisting of a silver loop, with a fiery ruby lodged over the metal.

"So this is the Stone?" asked Mario, staring into the ruby's depths. After all his years of handling magical artifacts, he had gained some small sensitivity to them, and while he couldn't tell the measure of it, he knew it was powerful.

"YES," answered the voice, "YOUR TEST IS COMPLETED. YOU MUST FIND THE OTHER THREE TEMPLES. HURRY." After these final words were spoken, the white space suddenly flashed a brilliant burst of gold light, so radiant that Mario had to shield his eyes. When he opened them again, he clearly felt he had returned to his normal body. They temple he had entered was revealed to be a single room, formed of white marble, with no remarkable features. Mario looked down at his hand, noticing he still had the Mystic Stone in his hand. Smiling, he turned around, and walked towards the open door.

* * *

><p>Mario had barely been in the temple room for five minutes, but that didn't stop his allies from worrying about him. Sonic knew Mario was tough, but he still felt a little nervous inside. They were one of each other's best friends. Link and Zelda, while not as close to the plumber as Sonic, were still concerned for their companion. They did see a small demonstration of his capabilities in the Lost Woods, but Mario wasn't exactly the image of strength and warrior spirit. Sonic had at least shown incredible speed, as well as martial arts skills.<p>

However, those worries were put to rest as Mario walked out of the temple. Smiling at his comrades across the lava pool, he called out, "One temple down, and only three more to go!"

Sonic grinned, waving to his friend in response. "That's how you do it, Marty!"

Link and Zelda were surprised at completion of the test so quickly. "He must be a lot stronger then he appears," thought Link.

Darbus grinned at the plumber as well. "I assume your business here is done, brother. We will help you to get back here." At his words, the Goron who stood beside him jumped into the lava pool again, swimming over to the bank where Mario stood. In no time at all, Mario stood besides his companions once more.

"Is that the Mystic Stone?" asked Zelda, pointing to Mario's bracelet. Possessing the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda had a far greater sensitivity to Magic than Mario did. She could feel the inherent power of the Stone, but it was locked by a spell she did not recognize, nor could she replicate.

Mario nodded. "It was crazy in there. I've got to tell you guys all about it."

"Let's get out of this chamber before we all melt," chimed in Sonic. For once, everyone agreed with him.

* * *

><p>Back at the Goron hall, Mario finished explaining how the tests were designed; how they would exploit memories, character flaws, and fears in order to get under their skin. Link wasn't worried, as he had dealt with situations like this before in his adventure. The others were a bit taken aback at how serious the tests sounded, but it didn't matter. They had to finish this mission, no matter what obstacles lay in store.<p>

"Well," said Link, after the recounting, "I think that wraps up our business here. We need to get directions to the next temple from Eldin." He turned to Darbus. "Thank you for all of your help. I'm sorry we can't stay, or repay your kindness with anything, but we have work to do."

Darbus and Gor Coron nodded. "We understand brother. If your mission is urgent, we will not delay you. There's no need to repay us. Our tribe is far more in debt to you."

The team was forced to refuse the offers of any food, as they did not have any more packs to carry it. Once the goodbyes were said, the quartet started their return journey down Death Mountain, with another storm whipped up by Zelda to keep them cool. A few guays, which were basically small vulture-like birds, swooped down to peck at them, but they were minor annoyances. Sonic sprung into action, knocking them away with a few well-placed kicks. The birds exploded against the rocks, dropping a few Rupees to the ground. Sonic scooped them up.

"So, do all monsters drop money when they die?" he asked Link.

"No," answered the knight, taking the Rupees. After all, you never knew when money could come in handy. "Guays just have a fondness for shiny objects. They store them in their feathers."

"Interesting," noted Mario.

Soon enough, the quartet made it to the bottom of the mountain, and back into Kakariko Village, where the sun wasn't quite as unbearable. Walking down the central dirt path, they arrived at the spring of the Light Spirit Eldin. As Mario and Sonic took a clear look at the spring, they noticed it was quite similar to Faron's. The spring consisted of one large, shallow pool, with a ledge up in the back, where the water flowed in from an unidentified source. In addition, the ledge held a few stone spires, about eight feet in height, with unidentified green patterns etched into them.

It was fairly late in the day, and it was unlikely that anyone would disturb them in their conference with the light spirit. Nevertheless, Link took a quick glance around to make sure they were entirely alone. Once he was sure, he turned back to the spring, and called out, "Eldin! Great Spirit of Light! We must speak with you!"

The same shifting ball of Light rose up from the water, shining with the brilliance of the sun. As it floated, two massive wings, glowing wings emerged, stretching across the entirety of the spring. The wings were the same golden-green color as Faron had been, and were covered with glowing, circular patterns scattered across them. They were followed by a large, bird like body, with shining white eyes, and two talons that held the shifting ball of light in between them. Eldin, resembling a massive hawk, had no pupils, but the quartet could tell it's eyes were focused on them.

_"Link, Hero chosen by the Gods, I welcome you to my lands," _it spoke in the same ethereal voice as Faron, _"Mario, Sonic, Queen Zelda, just as my brethren told me. I extend the same greetings to you. I see you managed to retrieve the first of the Mystic Stones."_

Mario held up his wrist, showing the stone attached to the bracelet. "Yes," he responded, "But we need to know the next location. I'm assuming that we'll have to solve another riddle?"

_"Indeed," _said the spirit, _"But there is one other factor you are unaware of. In order to keep the Stones from being taken, as well as ensure the heroes would toil to find them, the people charged by the Hero of Time refrained from building two temples until many years had passed. You will find this second temple, as well as another, in the time of Mario and Sonic."_

"So that's why he gave us the Ocarina," said Sonic, refraining from making a joke at the moment. "I wondered why he would want us to travel through time."

_"Yes," _answered the spirit, _"Your quest for the Stones will require you to utilize it to it's full power. And now, I will provide you with the riddle." _Eldin took another pause before reciting the riddle:

_In the forest that once was ravaged,_

_By beings from another world,_

_Behind the unthinkable savage,_

_Lays the sacred temple curled._

_ "Now you have the clue," _continued Eldin, _"If you heart's desire is to stop the Demon King's reincarnation, you must solve it, and find the second stone." _Having spoken all it needed, Eldin's glow slowly faded, before the sphere of light burst into golden trails and vanished from sight.

Sonic folded his arms, a concerned look on his face. "This one isn't gonna be as easy as the first," he noted, "It's a lot more complicated. I'm not even sure what they mean by the ravaged forest part."

Mario thoughtfully scratched his chin. "I might have an idea," he answered, "But it could be a bit of a stretch. Anyway, our first concern is getting back to our own time period."

"Right," agreed Zelda, "I've got the Ocarina, and I know the melody-"

"Wait," said Sonic, "I think, before we use the Ocarina, we should use our original device." He held up the grey beacon device they had brought to the past. "We should at least tell our friends what's going on. If we use the Ocarina, we'll just end up wherever this is in the future, and I have no idea where that is."

"Good point," agreed Link and Zelda nodded as well. Though they made no physical display of it, they were very nervous about going to the future of these two strange beings. From what they understood from previous conversations, in their time, Hyrule did not only exist, but the majority of people were unaware it had even existed at all. It was worse for Zelda, who devoted her entire life to keeping the country stable and the people safe.

Sonic pressed the red button on the beacon, and suddenly, a large, white antenna extended from the top. On top of the antenna, a small ball of energy, colored red and yellow, began to gather and grow. When it reached the size of a melon, it jumped off of the beacon, sitting midair next to the group. Without warning, the sphere burst, and in it's place lay a flat hole on the ground, spiraling with red and yellow colors.

"Here we go," said Sonic, and he immediately jumped into the hole, fading from sight of the others. Mario followed soon after, with no apprehension. Link and Zelda looked at each other, with a small look of fear passing between them. Without speaking, they followed their comrades into the hole, which closed with a flash of white behind them.

* * *

><p>The quartet stumbled out of the time machine into the second sub-level of Tails and E. Gadd's workshop, but immediately upon arrival, it was clear that something was wrong. All across the room, tools and machines were scattered and broken. The laser turrets, deployed only in case of emergency, now lay in pieces on the floor sparking and cracked. All the tables were overturned, and black scorch marks covered the walls. There was no sign of Tails, Luigi, or E. Gadd.<p>

"This is how rooms are in the future?" asked Link, shocked at all of the objects strewn across the room, so many of which he did not recognize.

"No," said Mario, the worry evident in his voice, "They must've got attacked!" He ran to the exit, with the other four following in his wake. The elevator was obviously not working, but the stairs were intact. The four warriors rushed up to the surface, then went to the front door and threw it open.

The sight that greeted them was one of the worst they could possibly have seen.

Bower stood on the left, a large hammer in his claw, and his breath releasing small wisps of fire. Robotnik stood on the right, piloting a man-sized, two-legged walker with a large cannon on each side. Between them, a figure with fiery, shoulder length red hair, and a black cape with gold highlights stood with his back to them.

"Yeah, the place is deserted," said Bowser, "There's no hint where they went-" Then he noticed the quartet standing in the doorway.

The man with the red hair turned around at Bowser's shocked expression. "Well, well," said Ganondorf with a grin, "Hello, Link. It's been a long time."

"Oh, crud," said Sonic, curling his fingers into fists.


	11. Chapter 10

**Me: "Welcome to chapter 10. The plot's really kicking up now, and I hope you guys enjoy it. As always, read and review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. **

**Christian Wolf27: The Ocarina of Time. Look at chapter 7.**

**Jarius1023: Um...did I offend you last time or something? Because I really didn't mean to, and if I did I'm sorry.**

**Turtletwirk: Meh, no offense taken. Admittedly they are kind of dumb, but carpe diem (I refuse to say YOLO, because it is the most idiotic expression ever conceived). Since nobody voted, I think I'll just do it as semi-regular thing."**

**Ganondorf: "Oh, great. We have to continue to listen to your crappy attempts at humor-"**

**Me: *Punches Ganondorf across the room without looking up* "Ignore him. Anyways, enjoy!"**

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Battle Royale<p>

At first, nobody moved. On one end, Link had drawn his sword, while Zelda gripped the handle of her saber, but had not yet unsheathed it. On the sides of the duo, Mario and Sonic stood, aggressive fighting stances assumed. Across the field, Ganondorf stared intensely at the quartet, but made no move to draw the Execution Sword. Bowser and Robotnik stood on either side of him, both grinning maniacally. Bowser's massive teeth in particular looked positively murderous.

Ganondorf was the first to break the silence, "All this time and no one has anything to say?"

"Where are our friends?" demanded Mario.

"You tell us," responded Bowser, "They must've left before we got here, just like the little chickens they are."

"Stuff it, turtle-breath," snapped Sonic, "We'll deal with you later."

Link and Zelda did not speak a word, simply continuing to stare at Ganondorf. Link's grip on the Master Sword was so hard his knuckles turned white underneath the glove. The blade itself seemed to even sense Ganondorf, as it glowed bright blue, reflecting it's evil repelling power.

"I told you challenging me would be pointless," said Ganondorf, grinning at the hero, "Two-thousand years, and here I stand. How does that make you feel? Insignificant?"

"I'll bet this isn't insignificant to you," snarled Link, pointing the shining Master Sword at Ganondorf, "I'll bet you remember it all too well."

"Yes," said Ganondorf, his grin fading at the memory. After all, getting stabbed in the gut can't have been a pleasant memory. "But it makes no difference. Not this time."

With these words, he raised his left hand, which had been sitting idly during the conversation. In a second, a shining white sphere of energy gathered on his hand, and launched at the team of heroes. Link dove forwards and rolled, narrowly missing the ball. Zelda followed suit, but bounded off to the side instead of straight forward. Sonic and Mario both made a standing leap across the grass, landing in front of their respective archenemies. The ball exploded against the door of the house, leaving the smell of burning wood in it's wake.

"I care not for the hedgehog or the plumber," said Ganondorf, "Do what you will with them. The boy and the princess are mine."

"With pleasure," laughed Robotnik.

"She's a queen," growled Link, lunging at Ganondorf.

The dark lord drew the Execution Sword from it's scabbard, swiftly parrying the Master Sword's strike. Leaping backwards, he followed up with an ascending diagonal slash, which screeched off of Link's shield. Meanwhile, Zelda managed to draw her bow, and prepped a Light Arrow, which had proved effective against Ganondorf in their previous battle. Unfortunately for her, the Thief King had learned from experience, and made a massive jump over the glowing projectile. He then continued to fight Link, blocking every strike, but unable to land any of his own.

Meanwhile, Mario rolled over to Bower, who proceeded to bring down his massive hammer. Mario performed a quick backflip to avoid the blow, and jumped forward, landing on the turtle's head with both feet.

"That was for the concussion you gave me at the island!" shouted the plumber, "And so is this!" He grabbed the dazed Koopa by one of his massive arms, and used all of his strength to yank the king over his shoulder. Bowser landed on the ground with a satisfying slam.

Bracing both claws against the ground, Bowser struggled to get up with a furious snarl. "That's nothing compared to the payback I'll give you!" he roared. He opened his mouth, releasing a continuos stream of fire. Mario sprang into the air to dodge, but Bowser had expected this maneuver. He swung one fist up, catching Mario in the stomach with a devastating punch. The plumber went skipping across the grass like a stone on water, eventually coming to a rest on his face.

"This is for every time you've got in my way! For years!" roared Bowser again, charging towards the seemingly helpless plumber. Mario managed to recover just in time to roll out of the way of Bowser's swiping claw. Getting back on his feet, Mario jumped up and launched a descending punch towards his Koopa nemesis, which was parried by Bowser's forearm. Bowser then struck out with another claw swipe, but missed yet again. Mario landed on both feet, then lashed out with one boot, connecting with Bowser's stomach and knocking him back.

"What's in this for you, Bowser?" he shouted, as he rained down punches on the Koopa King's exposed stomach, "What, Ganondorf takes over the world, and you get part of it? Are you that delusional? And since when were you willing to serve under another?"

Bower spat out a few more fireballs, forcing Mario to jump away to avoid them. Getting to his feet, Bower seized his hammer in one massive claw. "You can only blame yourself," he growled, as he flung the massive weapon in Mario's direction. The plumber managed to duck under the hammer, and it continued it's momentum towards the house, slamming into the wall and sending wood splinters in all directions. "You and that hedgehog could never just mind your own business," Bowser continued, charging forward and catching Mario off guard with a kick to his chest, "You never let us go do our work. So this is payback!" Mario went flying back into the wall again, and failed to recover before Bowser charged forward like a train, punching him through.

Sliding across the floor, Mario struggled to his feet, momentarily blinded by the sheer amount of pain creeping across his back. He pulled his hammer out of his pocket, then turned to Bowser with rage in his eyes. "Okay," he said, oddly calm, "So the rules are gone."

He made a flying leap across the ruined house, then bounced once he made it outside. Bowser had expected this attack, and launched another beam of flame in Mario's direction. He only managed to ignite the house, while Mario brought his hammer down on Bowser's head with a resounding crack. Bowser's claws flailed wildly, trying to drive Mario back, but he was far too disoriented to connect. Mario pinned one of the Koopa's feet beneath the mallet, causing him to fall to his knees. Pulling his weapon back, Mario delivered a devastating roundhouse swing that sent his nemesis flying across the field like a canon ball.

In the distance, Bowser managed to weakly raise himself to his feet yet again, barely stumbling on his injured foot. While most creatures would be rendered limp by a blow like that, Bowser was able to shrug it off. Being part dragon did have it's advantages, after all.

Fury filled the King's eyes once again as he stared his rival down. "Got another round it ya?" he snarled, blood dripping from his massive jaws.

"Definitely," responded Mario, all trace of the lighthearted feelings that had hung over their previous battles now missing.

The plumber and the Koopa King charged again.

At the same time, Sonic, was having problems of his own. He headed straight for Robotnik's walker but the doctor deployed a forcefield to protect his cockpit. He then activated both cannons, and began firing small missiles at the hedgehog, forcing him to run. Sonic tried to get some distance from the mad doctor, but Robotnik had thought of that, too. He deployed skate wheels beneath the feet of his walker, and zoomed after the hedgehog, firing more and more rockets.

Of course, this did nothing to stop Sonic's razor-sharp wit. "So, Eggy, how long is it gonna be before the ancient evil you raised blows up in your face this time?" he joked, as he twisted in midair to avoid a rocket, "Personally, I'm betting on three days, but who knows? Could happen before this fight is over." He homed in on one of the missiles, redirecting it towards it's origin.

Robotnik roared with frustration, fiddling with the controls of the walker to avoid the incoming projectile. While he avoided a direct hit, the resulting explosion still scratched his vehicle, sending it sliding backwards, and causing cracks on the front that spark due to damage. "WARNING!" said the onboard computer, "FRONTAL SHIELDING DAMAGED." The doctor glared up at Sonic from his console.

"You will pay for that, rodent," he snarled, before pressing another button. Panels on the walker's front opened, allowing the release of two small gun barrels. These immediately began unloading long, thin, purple beams towards Sonic, forcing him to leap away. The beams burned holes in the surrounding rocks with a hissing sound, and all the grass they touched was burned to a crisp.

"Lasers, eh?" said Sonic, as he bounced away from the weapons, "You really need to come up with some new ideas, Baldy McNosehair. How about a cannon that shoots rotten fish at me?"

"Enough! I have no patience for your prattling this time!" shouted Robotnik, as he furiously fired more lasers, "You have wasted so much of my life! Ruined so much of my work! Today is the day you get your due!"

"Your work?" said Sonic, disbelievingly, as he ducked under another laser, "Let me share some information with you, Robuttnik. You're not such a great person that everyone wants to live in a city that celebrates you." He curled into a spin dash, zipping between beams as he zoomed forwards. Gathering momentum, Sonic rocketed into Robotnik's walker, slamming into it with a blow that would've shattered an iron gate. The vehicle was thrown backwards, landing on it's rear and sliding a considerable distance away from the hedgehog. The computer once again blared a warning of damaged armor.

"And did it occur to you just how low you've fallen?" continued Sonic, getting back on his feet, "Since when do you take orders from anyone? Especially a two-thousand year old relic?"

"SILENCE!" screamed the mad doctor, his usual humor completely gone. His walker lunged out with one foot, ankle jets increasing propulsion as it slammed into Sonic. The blue blur went flying back like a rubber ball, bouncing across Donut Plains and skidding to a halt on his back. Struggling to throw off the pain, Sonic clambered to his feet, to see Robotnik's walker charging in his direction.

"Is this what it's come to?" shouted Sonic, as he moved to dodge yet more lasers and missiles, "I messed with you, so you're willing to throw away the world? This isn't you, Robotnik!" Sonic believed what he said. As much of a creep as Robotnik was (Don't even get him started on the whole Wisp thing), this was not his usual M.O. Ordinarily, the scientist would be joking himself during their battle, even trading witty banter back and forth with the hedgehog. But this time, all that existed in the Doctor's demeanor was irrational rage and hatred.

"You have caused me so much agony!" retorted the Doctor, as he chased down the rapidly fleeing hedgehog, "And you will suffer for it! Even if you defeat me, Lord Ganondorf will ensure that you beg for death!" He pressed another button, allowing a metallic tentacle to emerge from the back of his vehicle. The appendage zipped after Sonic at blinding speeds, wrapping itself around his ankle. Lifting Sonic off of the ground, it bashed him against the dirt and grass, before pulling back and tossing him into the distance once again.

Sonic slammed into the ground, feeling as though his entire skeletal structure shattered on impact. He felt a solitary drop of blood drip from his mouth, creating a tiny splotch on the ground. Robotnik went on the offensive again, sending the metal tentacle down again to impale the hedgehog, and Sonic barely managed to roll away. Getting to his feet once again, Sonic stared down his longtime nemesis.

"If that's how it's gotta be..." he said, with his humor gone, "Then you've brought this upon yourself." He curled up into his Spin Dash, zipping forward with a burst of speed. Robotnik immediately activated the jet boosters in his walker's feet, sending him flying into the air. Sonic had expected this however, and jumped straight up, before shooting down and bouncing off the ground. Rebounding higher up into the sky, he homed in on the walker, slamming into both legs, disabling the air jets. Robotnik went crashing down to the ground, causing the walker to crack and spark even more. The onboard computer screeched as it reported the even greater damage. Sonic zoomed back to him, breaking off one of the cannons with an axe kick. He went for the other, but was forced to flee as the tentacle came at him again. Robotnik's walker stumbled to it's feet.

"Let's end this," he said simply, with rage so fierce he could not even speak more.

At this time, you may be wondering exactly what was going on with Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. Well, the Triforce holders had continued the duel previously begun. Link continued swiping the Master Sword, while Zelda let off more and more Light Arrows. Though Ganondorf had learned to dodge them, it still left an opening for Link to take a slash at him. So far, the hero had only managed to make a small cut on the Dark Lord's upper left arm, but it was still bleeding.

"For two-thousand years, I've waited for this moment," Ganondorf laughed, his wound failing to slow him down at all, "Although, I still haven't decided how quickly I'll kill you!"

"Do you ever shut up?!" yelled Link. He thrust his shield forward, trying to knock Ganondorf backwards, then follow up with a Helm Splitter. He managed to hit Ganondorf in the face, but unfortunately for him, this only made the Thief King angry. Ganondorf stomped his foot in rage, sending a shockwave of black energy out, which knocked Link off of his feet and sent him flying backwards into the burning house. As Ganondorf moved in for the kill, Zelda jumped in front of him, having put away her bow and unsheathed her rapier.

Ganondorf laughed at the weapon. "You know that cannot hurt me."

Zelda smiled in response. "No, but this can." She snapped her fingers, and Ganondorf burst into flames.

The dark lord shouted with agony, as he dropped to the ground and rolled in a frantic attempt to put out the flames covering his body. Zelda chuckled. "A little modified version of the Din's Fire spell," she said, "And here's a trick I learned from you." She raised her sword to the skies, sending some of her magic into the blade. A white sphere of magic energy formed on the very tip, growing in size and crackling. With a swish of her arm, Zelda launched the ball at the still burning Ganondorf, where it exploded in a burst of light. Ganondorf roared in both pain and fury.

"That was for possessing my body," said Zelda, angrily. She ran over to the house, where Link was trying to pull some wooden chunks off of his body. Thankfully, the fire was dying down, and he hadn't been burned. "Here, let me help," offered Zelda, as she telekinetically lifted the burden, "I don't know how long I bought us, but you have to get up."

"I know," said Link, and for a moment, Zelda thought he looked angry at her. However, she decided she must've imagined it. Besides, at the moment, it wasn't exactly the most pressing issue.

Meanwhile, Ganondorf had managed to snuff out the burning flames that covered his body. Magical flames like that weren't strong enough to leave burns on him, but that didn't mean they were harmless. The pain had sent Ganondorf from being joyful at the prospect of revenge to furious. Getting back to his feet, Ganondorf turned to Link and Zelda, who were once again prepared for battle.

The dark lord didn't even bother to speak, instead charging at the queen and the knight with his sword drawn. However, Ganondorf had left himself wide open, and Zelda was able to quickly draw her bow, firing a Light Arrow directly into his neck. As the shining projectile impacted him, Ganondorf roared, and glowing tendrils of light snaked their way across his entire body. Link charged forward, attempting to decapitate the evil king with one slice. However, Ganondorf recovered too quickly, and dived back, receiving only a cut on his cheek.

"Is this really all?" asked Zelda, laughing, "We expected more. You have had two-thousand years of doing nothing but being dead until now. This is all you have?"

"The more you insult me," snarled Ganondorf, "The angrier I get!" Stabbing his execution sword into the ground, he raised both hands, pointing all of his fingers to the sky. Bolts of blackish-purple lightning launched from his fingertips, shooting towards the sky, before curving and coming back down towards the wielders of the Triforce. Link and Zelda both leapt away, and Zelda conjured up some glowing blue shields to block any that came too close for comfort.

"You don't seem to improve with rage," noted Link. He charged towards the Evil King once again, launching multiple sword strikes. Ganondorf tore his blade out of the ground, managing to parry most of Link's attacks. However, he was not prepared for Link hammering him on the head with the butt of the Master Sword. Ordinarily, this would be nothing to him, but even contact with the Master Sword burned Ganondorf's skin. As he staggered back, blind with pain, Link slashed out again, biting into Ganondorf's leg with the sword. The dark lord swore with fury.

Internally, Ganondorf was beating himself senseless. He should have suspected the plumber and the hedgehog would attempt to get aid against him. After all, the turtle and the scientist had told him they would not simply give up in the face of his power. Fool! He thought that just because of hindsight, he would be able to overcome this boy the second time, but he couldn't have been more wrong. He needed to exit, immediately.

Stepping back, Ganondorf wiped the blood off of his cheek. "I've had enough of this. We shall settle our quarrel another day," he snarled. He snapped his fingers, causing a mini firework of black light to burst from the tips. All of a sudden, black circles appeared on the ground, with he, Bowser, and Robotnik in the centers. Suddenly, black mist rose from the circles, obscuring the villains from view. Then there was a blinding flash, and all three were gone.

* * *

><p>"Well," said Mario, as he plucked a splinter from the back of his neck, "That went well." He had multiple scratches covering his body, most notably on his chest, where Bowser had tried to slash him.<p>

"Personally," said Sonic, "I think it turned out alright. We're not dead." He had several burns on his quills where Robotnik's lasers had grazed him.

"Dammit!" shouted Link, as he slashed his sword against the ground, "We could've finished him off right then and there!"

"It doesn't matter," said Zelda, "We need to get the Stones anyway. We can't risk losing." Remarkably, the two Hylians were far less injured than their companions.

"Well," said Sonic, scratching behind his ear, "If we're gonna plan our next move, we need to find another safe place to lay low." He gestured at the house, which had nearly burned completely to the ground. "This may not be our best option."

"Is there anywhere we can go that's not too far?" asked Zelda. The landscape around them was likely not anywhere that had once been Hyrule, and even if it had been, it had been drastically altered.

"We could always stop by my place," said Sonic, "Just a few miles out, and I keep it stocked with supplies."

"Wait a minute, you have a house?!" exclaimed Mario, "You always sleep outside! Seriously, I didn't even know if you'd ever slept in a bed."

"Yeah," said Sonic, laughing, "I mainly use it as a place to hide out when I need to. It's not too far that way." He pointed west, towards the setting sun.

"Well, then," said Zelda, as she put away her weapons, "Let's get going."

"Agreed," said Link, quietly, as he followed his queen, "It's not like anything in the future can be worse than listening to Sonic's jokes."

"I heard that!"

* * *

><p>Seeing the house for the first time, Mario realized he would've pegged it as something Sonic would like. Secluded in the outside of Donut Plains, the house only had two floors, and unlike Tails and E. Gadd's lab, featured no equipment of any kind hanging around outside. In fact, based on outside appearance, most would likely assume it had been recently abandoned. There was no sign of anyone living there, but the house hadn't begun to degrade.<p>

The quartet entered the small dwelling. True to form for Sonic, the house was mostly bare, with only the items Sonic deemed necessary. The was one couch, a bed, a fridge, an oven, and a couple of larger storage containers that held various supplies. Mario popped open the lid of one, discovering some communicators, various types of goggles, and other gadgets, presumably built by Tails. "These could be useful," he noted.

For Link and Zelda, most of the house seemed fairly normal. There was very little that indicated two-thousand years had passed. However, Link took and interest in the freezer, and upon opening, was greeted with ice cold air to the face. "What is this?" he exclaimed, staring at the icy box.

"Wonder of the modern world, buddy," said Sonic, grabbing a frozen chili dog, "Frozen food. Prolongs the rotting process." He placed it in the oven, heating it up for a few minutes before popping it out and devouring it. "Mmm. Man, I missed these in your time."

"How do you get the energy to for this house?" asked Mario, "It's in the middle of nowhere."

"The same way Tails' lab does. Or, did," said Sonic, "He's working on some self-sustaining tech, and this place operates on the prototype. It'll be a year before I have to replace it,"

"How does this work?" asked Zelda, staring at the oven, "It's like fire in a box!"

"We'll, we imprison little fire spirits in these boxes-" started Sonic, before a glare from Mario stopped him. "Uh...sorry, couldn't resist."

"Basically, electricity is put into these coils, which causes them to heat up the inside," Mario explained, pointing to the inside, "Electricity's...significantly more complicated."

"Wow," said Zelda. She wondered where the electricity came from, and what it even was, but decided not to bring it up. As fascinating as the future might be, there wasn't time to learn everything.

After patching up any major wounds, the rest of the evening was spent eating in silence. Link and Zelda were puzzled by modern processed food, and were only convinced it was safe to eat after using Link's lie detector ability on Mario and Sonic. After that, Sonic pulled out a communicator, punched in a number and held it up. Link and Zelda stared on, confused. Suddenly, Tails' face appeared on the screen.

"Sonic?! You're back! What happened?! Why do you have a burn on your face?! Why-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" exclaimed Sonic, "One question at a time buddy. We bumped into green skin and the two stooges when we got back, and the lab was destroyed. What the hell happened?"

"Security cameras," explained Tails, "We saw them coming from a distance. We just barely got away."

"Yeah, and we got back at the worst possible time," said Sonic, "Listen, we've got a new-"

He was cut off by Link shoving him away, and staring down into the communicator. "So, you can communicate with others through this...mirror?" he asked, shocked.

Tails stared at the hero. "Wait a minute. Aren't you..."

Sonic pushed Link out of view. "That's Link. Hero of Twilight. He's having a little bit of future shock right now."

"You brought him to our time? I thought you said-"

"I know, I know, we weren't going to bring him. However, as it turns out, we have no other choice." He sighed with exhaustion, "Look, it's a very long story, but we all need to rest. If you could just pick us up at my place in the morning, that'd work."

"Well, do you at least know how to stop Ganondorf?"

"Yes, but it's a lot more complicated than we hoped," said Sonic. He ended the call, then turned to the others, "Okay, guys, I've got enough pillows and blankets for everyone. I don't know about you, but all things considered, I think Mario deserves the bed."

"Agreed," said Zelda. After all, Mario had gone through his trial in addition to fighting Bowser in the same day.

"Sounds good to me," said Mario, marching over to the bedroom and dropping onto it.

"Awwww, but I wanted you to be all heroic and refuse!" whined Sonic. Nevertheless, he started setting up makeshift beds for the others. After a small debate, it was decided he would sleep on the couch.

Link and Zelda laid down in the corner of the living room, setting up their blankets and pillows. Link removed all of his gear, while Zelda unstrapped her weapons belt. The Master Sword sat right next to Link's hand, just in case.

"Well," said Zelda, "If today is any indication, we should be prepared for Ganondorf."

"I know," said Link, having a light chuckle, "That fight was paltry compared to our previous battle."

Zelda smiled. "Our previous incarnations never failed. We shall not be the first."

Unexpectedly, Link's smiled faded. His only reply was a simple "Yes," before settling down and going to sleep. Zelda was puzzled at his sudden change of mood, but the days' events had exhausted her as well, and she decided not to ask him about it. Sleep soon claimed her as well.

* * *

><p>"Idiots!" roared Ganondorf, hurling a piece of Robotnik's equipment across the room, "Why didn't you tell me they had access to time travel?! Now that boy is coming after me again!"<p>

"Hey, how were we supposed to know they'd do that?!" demanded Bowser.

"And these machines are expensive!" protested Robotnik, "How dare you destroy-"

"SILENCE!" screamed Ganondorf, punching a hole in the wall, as his fist glowed with shadowy energy. Bowser and Robotnik quickly decided that is was in their best interests to follow his orders for the moment.

Calming down, he continued, "We'll have to go about this more carefully. With the princess...er, queen, in this time, we cannot simply go about as we please." He flexed his fingers experimentally, causing tiny sparks of black electricity to fly between them. "The majority of my strength has returned. Perhaps we should test it, and send a little surprise their way," he said, grinning again.

_"Yeeessss...make them suffer...this shall only be the beginning." _

The voice hissed out of nowhere, sounding as though the speaker were directly next to Ganondorf's ear. It was deep and low, almost like a growling beast. Nearly jumping in surprise, frantically searching around the room. "Who said that?!" he demanded.

"What?" asked Bowser, innocently.

"That voice!" said the dark lord, "That whisper! Who said that?!"

"W-we didn't hear anything, Ganondorf...Lord Ganondorf," Robotnik quickly added as the thief king turned his furious glare towards him.

"Well...never mind then," said Ganondorf, as he decided he must've imagined the voice. However, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but think that the voice sounded...familiar.


End file.
